PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside his Office's buildings attended by civil servants in his Office there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1253W.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Prime Minister how many and what percentage of parliamentary questions tabled for written answer by him on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Gordon Brown: My office aims to answer all ordinary written parliamentary questions within five working days, and named day written parliamentary questions on the day named.
	In the parliamentary session 2008-09 87 per cent. of named day questions were answered on the day named.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his policy not to make any substantive comment on Iraq until the Chilcot Inquiry on Iraq has completed its work.

Gordon Brown: I will continue to take forward the Government's policy in Iraq. As to the inquiry, it continues to sit and will hear evidence and then make its report.

Members: Surveillance

Bob Neill: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1166W, on Members: surveillance, whether the Wilson Doctrine applies to forms of surveillance and interception which are not subject to authorisation by the Secretary of State's warrant.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1166W.

Official Gifts

Adam Holloway: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what official gifts he and his predecessor have received from the President of Pakistan in each year since 2001;
	(2)  what official gifts he and his predecessor have received from the President of Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Gordon Brown: The Government have published annual lists of gifts received and given by Ministers in an official capacity valued at more than £140 since 2001. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for the current financial year will be published in the usual way.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Disabled People

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the House of Commons Commission has taken to apply the principles of Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in respect of making reasonable adjustments to enable a disabled person to hold office in the last five years.

Nick Harvey: The House provides considerable support for Members with disabilities to help them to carry out their duties. Support and advice are provided by the Department of Resources, the Department of Facilities and the Parliamentary ICT Service. This support includes medical appraisals and help from the Consultant Occupational Health Physician, the provision of a variety of equipment (i.e. specialised IT software and equipment, motorised wheelchairs etc.), accommodation adjustments, and funding for transport needs and additional staff help where necessary. A leaflet is in preparation setting out the help that is available to Members with disabilities after the next general election.
	The Commission's duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 are duties owed as an employer rather than duties owed to holders of elected office.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Kajaki dam in Northern Helmand province to be operational.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Kajaki dam is operational and producing around 33 MW of power, benefiting at least 200,000 people.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 801-04, on the future defence programme, 
	(1)  which training exercises will be cancelled;
	(2)  what aspects of Army training his Department plans to reduce.

Bill Rammell: Given our current commitments, we must ensure that our core activity is focused on preparing our soldiers for the Department's main effort, success on operations in Afghanistan. Combined with the pressures that the Defence budget has faced, this means prioritising our resources to these critical activities, and reductions in some non-operational specific training. Our training, and associated equipment fleets, are being managed to this effect.
	We are working through detailed implementation. But no training for current deployments will be cut. An example where we could expect reductions, however, is in the levels of training provided for heavy armour, such as Challenger 2 tanks which have not been deployed in Afghanistan.

Departmental Billing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Information currently available for the Department, its agencies and trading funds is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   MOD and agencies  UKHO  Met Office  DSTL  DSG 
			   Total  Percentage paid  Total  Percentage paid  Total  Percentage paid  Total  Percentage paid  Total  Percentage paid 
			 November 2008 390,354 72.3 - - - - - - - - 
			 December 2008 415,608 85.0 - - - - - - - - 
			 January 2009 361,494 80.0 - - 1,267 55.5 - - - - 
			 February 2009 459246 85.0 - - 1,010 82.5 - - - - 
			 March 2009 466,246 90.7 740 94.7 1,271 86.2 - - - - 
			 April 2009 472,644 92.8 551 97.6 1,090 81.3 - - - - 
			 May 2009 445,844 98.4 572 98.1 922 77.5 - - - - 
			 June 2009 448,697 97.5 574 97.4 610 92.3 - - - - 
			 July 2009 431,323 97.7 800 98.5 729 93.0 3,592 72.5 - - 
			 August 2009 412,871 98.0 547 97.8 577 95.1 2,284 98.0 - - 
			 September 2009 398,351 98.0 491 94.9 638 95.9 2,234 88.5 6,286 76.4 
			 October 2009 415,740 98.6 600 98.0 647 95.0 3,081 98.8 6,446 88.7 
			 November 2009 420,291 98.4 577 95.0 594 96.8 2,621 98.6 7,047 92.5 
			  Key: UKHO: United Kingdom Hydrographic Office DSTL: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory DSG: Defence Support Group 
		
	
	The Government are committed to improving the payment culture in the UK in order to create a fair and stable business climate. Government Departments and their agencies should aim to pay all invoices not in dispute within 10 days or within the agreed contractual terms if otherwise specified.
	The Ministry of Defence fully supports this policy.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she plans to take steps to provide educational materials to schools on the history of the Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: "Get Set" is the official London 2012 education programme for schools, colleges and local authority education providers across the UK. It is managed by The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	The "Get Set" programme offers a wide range of opportunities for young people between 3 and 19 to connect with London 2012 and also for education providers across the UK to use "Get Set" materials. There are over 9,000 schools, colleges and other learning institutions registered.
	The "Get Set" website:
	www.london2012.com/getset
	offers learning providers a range of resources such as films, activity ideas and games based around the Paralympic and Olympic values.
	It is updated on a regular basis to provide fresh ideas and additional support materials. For example, teachers were provided with material to mark 1,000 days to go to London 2012 and resources will also be released to tie in with the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games beginning in February.
	The resources available include information on the history of the Olympic/Paralympic movements which can be used on the web or downloaded as factsheets.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 279W, on the Animal Welfare Act 2006, what progress has been made on considering the consultation responses; and when he expects revised drafts to be published.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The codes of practice for the welfare of cats, dogs and horses were laid before Parliament on 8 December. If approved by Parliament, they will come into force on 6 April 2010.
	A summary of the responses can be found on the DEFRA website and copies of all the responses have been placed in the House Library.

Animals: Codes of Practice

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the recently published codes of practice for the welfare of dogs and cats did not include guidance on breeding.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The main purpose of the cat and dog codes is to assist the courts in cases of poor welfare, brought under the Animal Welfare Act, in relation to cats or dogs. Another purpose is to provide owners of cats and dogs with guidance in how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, as required under the Act. Protecting the progeny of animals is not covered in the code.
	The breeding of dogs has been considered by the Associate Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare, which reported in the autumn. The report from Sir Patrick Bateson on dog breeding will be published in January. The recommendations from these two inquiries will need careful consideration and to issue a code of practice on breeding at this juncture might preempt the conclusions we draw from this valuable work.

Campaign for the Farmed Environment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Country Landowners Association and the National Farmers Union on  (a) the Campaign for the Farmed Environment sponsored by these bodies and  (b) progress towards the targets set by that campaign for (i) England, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Cumbria.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have met with the leaders of both organisations a number of times over recent months to discuss how best to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside through the development of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment, as have my ministerial colleagues and our officials. The Memorandum of Understanding which has been signed by all the campaign partners, including DEFRA, CLA and NFU, and the nearly £3 million of funding which the Department has earmarked for the campaign, demonstrates the commitment of all the partners to its success.
	The campaign's targets are for England and are not county-specific. It is currently too early to assess the impact of the campaign on the ground, following its official launch on 5 November 2009, but I have just received an interim report from the campaign's industry partners reporting on progress to date with setting up the campaign. DEFRA has also recently sent out a baseline sample survey of farmers' existing voluntary actions, against which future annual surveys will establish the progress of the campaign. Our intention is that the results of the first of these surveys will be published in summer 2010.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities levy an annual charge for wheeled refuse containers; what charge was set by each such authority in 2009-10; and how much each such authority raised in such charges in the most recent financial year.

Dan Norris: DEFRA and the Waste and Resources Action Programme do not hold this information.

Food: Climate Change

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps in consultation with farmers and supermarkets to undertake research into the effects of climate change on the preservation of foodstuffs grown in an extended growing season.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have not funded research to look specifically at the impacts of climate change on storage of food products. However, we have funded research to improve storage of products to extend storage time, maintain quality in storage and therefore reduce losses. This has been achieved through improvements in storage technology and crop management.
	We have also commissioned research to develop storage technologies that are more sustainable. The knowledge and improved technologies delivered provide greater resilience to climate change because they provide options for adaptation. A non-exhaustive list of relevant research projects is shown in the following table.
	Further information on these projects is available from the DEFRA website at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Location=None &Module=FilterSearchNewLook&Completed=Q
	
		
			  Code  Title  Start  End  Cost (£) 
			 FO0308 Development of diffuse browning disorder in relation to physiological and biochemical changes in apple fruit during development and storage April 2007 March 2009 201,094 
			 LK09105 A novel strategy for reducing wastage in potato storage by improved control of tuber dormancy. October 2007 March 2008 42,468 
			 LK0985 Defining and managing risks to safety and quality during food and feed grain storage July 2006 July 2011 648,020 
			 LK0967 Biopesticides for the control of storage insect pests April 2005 September 2009 393,114 
			 AR0603 Interaction of biology and behaviour of storage insects with environmental conditions in bulk grain April 2002 March 2006 655,327 
			 AR0604 Safe storage of grain by preventing and controlling the development of mite pests April 2002 March 2006 614,325 
			 HH2602SFV Molecular and biochemical characters of post harvest quality in brassicas January 2002 December 2005 539,903 
			 LK0929 Improving the detection and monitoring of storage beetle pests by development of a multi-species lure October 2002 September 2005 221,329 
			 HH2603STF The potential for manipulating the orchard microflora to control storage rot fungi April 2001 March 2005 208,399 
			 HH2604STF Storage rots in plums and cherries September 2001 August 2004 154,852 
			 HH2606STF Identify the mechanisms of a naturally-occurring, heritable trait for reduced ethylene production in apple fruits April 2001 March 2004 494,252 
			 LK0919 Control of potato storage diseases by laser treatment October 2001 September 2004 116,015 
			 HH2118STF Integrated control of new storage rot problems in apples and pears. April 1998 March 2001 153,781 
			 HH2120TTF Expanding the potential of the UK stone fruit industry by the use of modern storage technology April 1998 March 2001 246,847 
			 HH2114STF Investigation into improving storage of horticultural produce by control of ethylene metabolism. October 1997 September 2000 306,013

Hunting Act 2004

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many convictions there have been under the Hunting Act 2004.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The following table shows the number of defendants found guilty at all courts in England and Wales for offences under the Hunting Act 2004 from 2005-07 (latest available).
	Data for 2008 is planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences under the Hunting Act 2004( 1) , England and Wales, 2005-07( 2, 3) 
			   Number 
			 2005 2 
			 2006 5 
			 2007 48 
			 (1) Came into force on 18 February 2005. (2) The court proceedings statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. (Ref: 591-09)

Sewers: Private Sector

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to implement a new Mandatory Build Standard for the transfer of private sewers and drains to water company ownership; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: There is little point transferring existing private sewers if a new stock of private sewers is allowed to grow over time to replace it. Therefore, provision is contained in the Flood and Water Management Bill, currently before Parliament, for new sewers connecting to the public system to be built to a mandatory standard and then adopted by water and sewerage companies. DEFRA officials are working with stakeholders on the preparation of a mandatory build standard for consultation.
	Subject to the successful passage of the Bill, I anticipate that the standards should be published in advance of the transfer of existing private sewers and lateral drains.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Allowances

Eric Pickles: To ask the Leader of the House what timetable has been set for the cessation of the communications allowance.

Barbara Keeley: No claims for expenditure incurred on or after 1 January 2010 will be paid from Communications Expenditure, with the exception of expenditure on advertisements for surgeries, including posters (subject to restrictions set out as follows) and maintenance of equipment funded from Communications Expenditure where there are contractual commitments.
	Advertisements for surgeries, where the expenditure is incurred on or after 1 January 2010 and is funded by Communications Expenditure, must not include party colours or logos and slogans, must not include extraneous material, must be proportionate in nature, and may not include advertisements in national media or leaflets or flyers; references to other elected officials must be approved in advance by the Department of Resources.
	No materials or resources, other than websites and office equipment, purchased from Communications Expenditure before 1 January 2010 may be used on or after that date unless the Member first returns the full cost of those resources to the House.
	Where Communications Expenditure is used to fund an ongoing cost or item which occurs across both the restricted and unrestricted period, only the relevant fraction of the costs can be paid for out of Communications Expenditure, unless the item concerned is (i) one of the items excepted in the first paragraph above or (ii) the Member entered into an unconditional obligation to pay for the item using Communications Expenditure on or before 23 November 2009 and the item is not used on or after 1 January 2010.
	The Department of Resources issued detailed guidance on 16 December 2009. Members who have any queries about their own Communications Expenditure during the restricted period should seek advice from the Department.
	The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has today published a draft allowances scheme for consultation under section 5 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Procurement

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what criteria are used to assess a potential supplier to the Central Office of Information for inclusion on the list of approved suppliers;
	(2)  who the members are of the panel which approves suppliers to the Central Office of Information;
	(3)  what the names are of the approved suppliers to the Central Office of Information.

Angela Smith: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 6 January 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions on the COI Suppliers (307857/8/9).
	Central Office of Information (COI) has 29 lists of approved suppliers referred to in the Public Contract Regulations 2006 as framework agreements. As a public sector body, COI has to comply with the requirements outlined in the Regulations when setting up framework agreements. The list of framework agreements and the suppliers that sit on each can be found on the COI website at
	http://coi.gov.uk/suppliers.php?page=31
	The requirements and deliverables expected of suppliers on each framework agreement differs, however suppliers are assessed to ensure that they are capable of providing the services that the framework agreement is set-up to deliver and to ensure that value for money is achieved through quality of the service, their technical ability and price.
	The members of the panel that carry out the assessment of suppliers onto each framework agreement differs for each but is typically made up of at least two technical experts and one procurement expert. The final list of suppliers is signed off by the Director of the area and the Commercial Director.

Government Departments: Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been in respect of technical attacks through the internet on the computer systems of Government departments in each of the last three years.

Claire Ward: I have been asked to reply.
	Statistical data held by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database record the number of defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales on a persons basis.
	These data do not include information on the circumstances of an offence and it is therefore not possible to separately identify offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 that have resulted from unauthorised access to computer systems of Government Departments.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she expects the report of the latest review of non-departmental Government bodies to be published.

Angela Smith: Cabinet Office produces an annual report on the size and spend of the non-departmental public body sector entitled "Public Bodies". Cabinet Office aims to publish "Public Bodies 2009" shortly.

NORTHERN IRELAND

AccessNI

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) basic,  (b) standard and  (c) enhanced applications have been processed by AccessNI in each month since April 2008; and what percentage of applications in each category was completed within the performance target time.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to provide information for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 in the manner requested. During this period AccessNI processed 115,268 applications. It was unable to meet its service standards between May and December 2008, but did meet them between January and March 2009. Information for the period 1 April to 31 October 2009 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 October 2009 
			  Month  Number of basic processed  Percentage within target( 1)  Number of standard processed  Percentage within target  Number of enhanced processed  Percentage within target 
			 April 1,092 86.91 281 97.22 10,687 93.14 
			 May 1,310 97.58 386 99.47 8,181 96.9 
			 June 1,691 97.20 1,014 98.99 11,052 94.28 
			 July 1,611 97.63 966 97.12 10,529 94.63 
			 August 1,340 96.21 460 98.95 8,706 96.3 
			 September 1,822 99.19 1,184 99.41 10,538 96.71 
			 October 1,573 98.73 1,497 98.75 13,434 96.43 
			 Totals 10,439  5,788  73,127  
			 (1) Basic target is 90 per cent. in two weeks (2) Standard target is 90 per cent. in three weeks (3) Enhanced target is 90 per cent. in four weeks

Clergy: Misconduct

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with  (a) the Irish government,  (b) the Roman Catholic Bishop's Conference of Ireland and Primate of Ireland and  (c) the Papal Nuncio on the implications of the report of the Irish Commission of Inquiry into sex abuse and related misconduct by members of the clergy and religious orders for clergy and members of religious orders transferred to dioceses or religious houses in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Northern Ireland Office Ministers have had no discussions on these matters, nor any requests to discuss them, with any of the parties specified.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 21W, which considered primary legislation to include both Westminster Acts of Parliament and, for Northern Ireland, Orders in Council which would elsewhere be classified as secondary legislation. For the purposes of the current question I am therefore treating secondary legislation for Northern Ireland to cover statutory instruments excluding orders in Council.
	Excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies, the Northern Ireland Office has made four statutory rules which have made or repealed offences since 1 May 2008.
	The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008; the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2009; and the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 2009 updated Northern Ireland electoral procedures. This brought them in line with changes made to UK electoral law by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and included offences relating to voting and electoral registration procedures.
	The Electoral Administration Act 2006 (Regulation of Loans etc: Northern Ireland) Order 2008 also provides for an offence of disclosing information contained in transaction reports in circumstances other than those set out in the order.

TRANSPORT

Cycling

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of (i) children and (ii) adults in (A) Stroud district, (B) Gloucestershire and (C) England who cycle regularly.

Sadiq Khan: Estimates from the National Travel Survey suggest that, across England as a whole, 31 per cent. of children and 10 per cent. of adults regularly cycled (i.e. at least one bicycle trip per week) between 2006 and 2008.
	Equivalent statistics for Gloucestershire and the Stroud district are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, for urban areas with resident populations of between 25,000 and 50,000 (such as the town of Stroud), the equivalent estimates were 30 per cent. for children and 10 per cent. for adults.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on (i) alcohol and (ii) entertainment in the last 12 months.

Chris Mole: Generally, the Department for Transport (DFT) operates a no alcohol policy. In exceptional cases, where the Department is holding a special event or staff are attending a venue away from their normal office and working long hours necessitating an evening meal, some limited provision of alcoholic drinks at public expense may be permitted at the discretion of a senior civil servant. Spend incurred in such situations is not centrally recorded and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, The Driving Standards Agency, Government Car and Despatch Agency, Highways Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency recorded zero expenditure on alcohol.
	Entertainment costs are not recorded as a specific cost category within the Department for Transport's accounting systems. To identify such expenditure would incur disproportionate costs. However, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and Highways Agency have both recorded zero expenditure on entertainment.

Departmental Pay

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what pay band his Department's chief information officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not employ a full-time chief information officer. The role is split between the Director General and Director responsible, alongside wider policy responsibilities, for issues including information and knowledge management, data security, information and communication technology and knowledge management, in which they are supported by professional staff in the central Department and its agencies. There is no centrally managed budget for CIO activity. The budget for 2009-10 for the Information Management Directorate for ICT in the central Department was £13.5 million.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of effectiveness of the recent advertisements on the dangers of drug driving.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport usually assesses the effectiveness of its advertising in three ways:
	The effect on individuals' awareness, motivation and claimed behaviours, which we measure through quantitative and qualitative research.
	Progress against indicators such as in the case of our THINK! road safety campaign, the number of people killed or seriously injured.
	How effectively it buys media space. Analysis by independent media auditors benchmarks the Government's performance against private sector advertisers. Collectively, the Government are an efficient purchaser of media.
	The THINK! Drug Drive advertising campaign ran from 17 August to 13 September 2009. The Department has not yet received or assessed all of the data listed above. However, research, including pre-campaign and post-campaign tracking surveys and website statistics, provides early indicators that the campaign has performed well against its core objectives including raising awareness of the risks of drug-driving.

East Coast Railway Line

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department intends to make an assessment of the likely effect on public finances of retaining the East Coast Main Line in the public sector.

Chris Mole: When rail franchises are let, the Department for Transport routinely prepares a "shadow bid" to provide a detailed estimate of the likely costs and revenues of the new franchise. In the case of the next Inter City East Coast franchise, this evaluation will be based on the costs and revenues of the current public sector train operator.

Local Government: Snow and Ice

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Local Government Association and  (b) local authorities on the contingency plans of local authorities in respect of extreme weather conditions.

Sadiq Khan: The most recent discussions I have held with the Local Government Association on local authorities' contingency plans in respect of extreme weather conditions were on 4 January 2010. Department for Transport officials are also in regular contact and discussion with the Local Government Association on these matters.

Lorries: Road Traffic

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many miles heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on dual carriageways in England in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what information his Department holds on the equivalent figures for  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland.

Paul Clark: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The estimated miles travelled by heavy goods vehicles on dual carriageways in England, Wales and Scotland in 2008 is shown in the following table.
	Road network information for dual carriageways is not available for Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  Heavy goods vehicles 
			   Billion vehicle miles 
			 England 3.5 
			 Scotland 0.4 
			 Wales 0.2 
			   
			 Great Britain 4.1 
			 Northern Ireland Not available 
			  Source:  National Road Traffic Survey (2008).

Lorries: Road Traffic

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how many miles UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on  (a) motorways and  (b) trunk roads in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what information his Department holds on the equivalent figures for (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland;
	(2)  how many miles UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on all roads in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what information his Department holds on the equivalent figures for  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland.

Paul Clark: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The Department for Transport does not hold figures on traffic or the country of vehicle registration for Northern Ireland, but the estimated miles travelled by UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on all roads in England, Scotland and Wales is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  HGV traffic on all roads by registration and region, 2008 
			  Billion vehicle miles 
			   Registered heavy goods vehicles  
			   UK  Foreign  Total 
			 England 4.78 0.56 15.3 
			 Scotland 1.68 0.03 1.7 
			 Wales 0.77 0.03 0.8 
			  Sources: Traffic: National Road Traffic Survey. Registration: Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion Survey (June 2008). 
		
	
	Due to small sample sizes, the estimates of miles driven in England, Scotland and Wales will be subject to a margin of uncertainty, and the sample size is too small to provide reliable estimates of the miles travelled by road class.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had on the future of Northern Rail's Pacer (Class 142) rolling stock.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has been in recent discussion with Northern Rail regarding their proposals for delivering additional capacity through the High Level Output Specification (HLOS). These discussions which are currently ongoing have included the totality of their rolling stock fleet including class 142s.
	The recently announced electrification programme in the North West will also allow some class 142 Pacer vehicles that operate on these lines to be replaced with electric trains.
	In addition, the Department meets with each of the Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs) on a regular basis to discuss their respective portfolio of rolling stock vehicles, which includes class 142 Pacer vehicles.

Railways: Franchises

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of operating rail passenger services in the public sector after each passenger franchise expires.

Chris Mole: Under current legislation, the Secretary of State has the ability to step in to secure continuity of train service provision only if a train operator becomes unable to meet the terms of its franchise agreement. However, this can only be a temporary arrangement as there is no provision for train services to be permanently retained in the public sector without a change to legislation.
	Therefore the Department for Transport has made no assessment of the value for money of operating rail passenger services in the public sector on a permanent basis after each passenger franchise expires.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many of the 1,300 extra carriages referred to in the Government's Rail White Paper published in July 2007 are in operation on the network; and on which lines they are operating.

Chris Mole: holding answer 23 November 2009
	A total of 380 new and additional vehicles are already either in service or are being prepared for service subject to the train operator finalising service plans.
	This includes 232 new vehicles currently in operation with the following train operators:
	
		
			  TOC  Class  Type  Number of vehicles 
			 Southern Railway 377 EMU 48 
			 London Midland 350/2 EMU 148 
			 Southern Railway 377 EMU 36 
		
	
	311 further new vehicles have been ordered and manufacturers are currently progressing their construction.

Rolling Stock

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport who will decide whether the super express trains manufactured by Hitachi will have provision for  (a) an operational safety role for a guard or conductor and  (b) a restaurant buffet car.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has specified all Super Express Trains to be capable of operating either with a guard or in driver-only operation. This reflects the flexibility of train deployment on different route types, including long distance and commuter. As today, the mode of operation of services on specific routes will be managed by the train operating company.
	Super Express Trains will offer suitable equipment to deliver on-train catering, ranging from at-seat trolley to full restaurant buffet car service. The catering provision will vary according to the service being operated and, as today, will be managed by the train operating company.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what complaints relating to council tax collection the Local Government Ombudsman has adjudicated in the last 36 months.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Councillors: Codes of Practice

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the written ministerial statement of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 56WS, on judicial declarations (freemasonry), whether he plans to amend the Code of Conduct for Councillors in respect of its declaration requirements.

Rosie Winterton: While the Model Code of Conduct for councillors contains no specific provision on freemasonry, it does require members to include in their register of interests their membership of any charitable bodies; freemasons consider themselves such a body.

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on  (a) print,  (b) online,  (c) television and  (d) radio advertising in each of the last five years; how much has been spent on advertising in 2009-10 to date; and what percentage of advertising expenditure in each year was managed by the Central Office of Information.

Barbara Follett: Information on the Department for Communities and Local Government expenditure on advertising is published every year in its Annual Report. Since 2008-09 this information has been published in a format which allows it to be broken down by the type of media used. However, the information is not available for previous years in this format.
	For the financial year 2008-09 I refer the hon. Member to the information provided on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1298507.pdf
	For previous years I refer the hon. Member to the appropriate departmental Annual Report, available in the House Library.
	The Department will publish a breakdown of advertising expenditure in 2009-10 at the time of its next Annual Report.
	The Department does not hold data on the proportion of its advertising expenditure managed by the Central Office of Information.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.

Barbara Follett: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Planning Inspectorate does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Fire Service College does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre can confirm that have not had any expenditure on cancelled conferences.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) average and  (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment was in cash terms for a senior civil servant in his Department in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: The following table shows the average and highest payments of non-consolidated variable payments awarded by CLG to the senior civil service over the last five financial years.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Average amount paid  Highest amount paid 
			 2009-10 7,365 12,500 
			 2008-09 8,396 20,500 
			 2007-08 6,597 16,270 
			 2006-07 6,868 12,500 
			 2005-06 4,954 9,500

Departmental Responsibilities

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what programmes and projects for which his Department is responsible have been cancelled in the last 12 months; and in respect of how many such programmes and projects funding has been reduced.

Barbara Follett: The Department's spending plans for 2009-10 were set out in the main estimates published on 18 June 2009 (HC 514) and the associated explanatory memorandum for the Communities and Local Government Select Committee published at:
	http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmcomloc/memo/mainestimate/ucm01.pdf
	Changes to those plans were set out in the winter supplementary estimates published on 24 November 2009 (HC 24), with further detail set out in the explanatory memorandum to the Select Committee, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
	Further changes will be published in the forthcoming spring supplementary estimates in February.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many telephone lines with the prefix  (a) 0870,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0800 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls were received to each number in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case.

Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government does not operate or sponsor telephone contact lines with the relevant prefixes. The departmental contact number is an 030 number which is reserved for public services and calls to this service are charged at national rate. No revenue is raised through this service.

Energy Performance Certificates

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1193W, on energy performance certificates, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned from AECOM.

John Healey: The full evaluation of the EPBD is expected to be completed in mid-2010 when copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

Energy Performance Certificates

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's most recent estimate is of the effect on the sale price of homes to which energy efficiency improvements have been made of the requirement to produce an energy performance certificate.

John Healey: No such estimate has been made.
	However, the Department for Communities and Local Government is working with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and other stakeholders on a project to explore the extent to which energy performance is reflected in the value of a property and the effect on the market price of homes as a result of the installation of energy efficiency and renewable heat and energy technologies.

Government Office for London: Location

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards the relocation of the Government office for London; whether an alternative location has been identified; and whether he expects relocation to take place before the lease at Riverwalk House expires in 2011.

Rosie Winterton: A relocation project is in progress, being run jointly by the Government office for London and the Communities and Local Government Estates Directorate, in line with the Government Estates Transformation Programme.
	The project has identified Eland House, currently part of the Communities and Local Government Estate, as the most suitable location. The relocation project has an anticipated completion date of 31 December 2010, well in advance of the expiry of the lease on Riverwalk House.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the level of compliance of  (a) estate agents and  (b) home-sellers with requirements relating to home information packs.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 902-03W, to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson).

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1211W, on home information packs, 
	(1)  whether rules on misleading omissions apply to property information questionnaires constituting a marketing communication between a home seller and a home buyer;
	(2)  whether estate agents are liable for misleading omissions made by a home seller producing a property information questionnaire; and what obligations estate agents have to check the  (a) accuracy and  (b) truthfulness of property information questionnaires.

John Healey: Section 155 of the Housing Act 2004 provides that the person responsible for marketing is under a duty to have a Home Information Pack (HIP) in his possession which complies with the Home Information Pack (No. 2) Regulations 2007. Where the person responsible for marketing is an estate agent, Regulation 36 provides that he cannot be held in breach where a document (other than the Index and Sale Statement) fails to comply with the Regulations and the agent believed on reasonable grounds that it did comply.
	Estate agents are under a duty under the Home Information Pack (No. 2) Regulations 2007 to ensure that the HIP includes a completed Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) but are not under a duty to ensure that the answers given by the seller are accurate and truthful. An estate agent could be in breach of the Consumer Protection Regulations (CPRs) if he failed to act on information in the PIQ which he knew to be inaccurate or untruthful, because they are required by the CPRs to act in accordance with honest market practice and good faith.

Local Government and Housing Act 1989

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals were found guilty of breaching section 19(2) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 from its commencement to its repeal.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not have information about the number of local authority members who have not complied with section 19(2) of the Local Government and Housing Act.

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the monetary value is of the area-based grant to be allocated in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12; and what criteria are used to allocate that grant to local authorities.

Barbara Follett: The monetary value of area based grant (ABG) for 2010-11 is £5,028,317,187. The allocation for 2011-12 has yet to be announced. Decisions on future public spending plans will be a matter for the next spending review.
	The criteria used to allocate departmental contributions to ABG are decided by the respective Departments, and will reflect factors such as relative need for the services covered by each contribution to the Grant. For example, the distribution of money for schools intervention will take account of the number of maintained schools in the area.

Local Government Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the central Government grant per capita was to each local authority, including police and fire authorities in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Barbara Follett: I have placed in the Library of the House tables showing central Government grant per capita by local authority for 2008-09 and 2009-10. However, it should be noted that figures between the two years are not directly comparable because the 2008-09 figures are based on outturn information whereas those for 2009-10 are based on budget information. It should also be borne in mind that local authorities may not have complete information about all central Government grants at the time they completed the budget returns.
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, redistributed non-domestic rates and police grant), Greater London authority grant, specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services and Area Based Grant (ABG).
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	Mid-year 2008 population estimates are used to calculate per capita information. 2009 figures are not yet available. For National Parks mid-year 2007 estimates are used because they are the most recent available.

Local Government Finance: Lancashire

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding the Government provided to  (a) Lancashire county council and  (b) Preston city council in real terms in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

Barbara Follett: The following table shows central Government funding provided to Lancashire county council and Preston city council in real terms at 2008-09 prices. Figures between the two years are not directly comparable because those for 1997-98 are based on outturn information whereas those for 2009-10 are based on budget information. In addition, local authorities may not have had complete information about all central Government grants at the time of completing the budget returns.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   1997-98  2009-10 
			 Lancashire 955.4 1,210.0 
			 Preston 16.9 21.9 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns for 1997-98 and 2009-10. 
		
	
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, redistributed non-domestic rates and police grant) and specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services. In 2009-10 figures include area-based grant (ABG).
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government: Accountability

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on accountability mechanisms for local authority  (a) strategic partnerships,  (b) safeguarding boards and  (c) partnership bodies.

Barbara Follett: Chapter 1 of the Strengthening Local Democracy consultation sought views on the extension of scrutiny powers of Local Area Agreement partners and whether these should be made more explicit in relation to the wider delivery of local public services in an area. The consultation also asked whether the structure of local partnerships should be reviewed in order to identify unhelpful overlap and duplication and whether these were particular issues on which such a review should focus. Over 1,400 responses were received to this consultation and I will be publishing the formal response to it in due course.
	In addition, on 23 December, I received the formal shortlist of 199 proposals from the Local Government Association in its role as the Selector under the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act, and a number of these make suggestions about accountability mechanisms for local authorities and other bodies.

Local Government: Contracts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has plans to update the publication Guidance on contracting for Services in the light of the Human Rights Act 1998, to take account of recent judgments relating to the scope of that Act.

Rosie Winterton: The Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IdeA) have commissioned the British Institute of Human Rights to carry out a project looking at the relevance of a human rights approach to local government and service delivery. We will consider the need for any revised guidance in light of the outcome of this project.

Local Government: Elections

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Standards Board for England has issued on whether local authority (i) buildings and (ii) equipment provided for councillors to carry out their representative role may be used for the production of political campaigning literature.

Rosie Winterton: As made clear in the statutory Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity issued by my Department, section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986 provides that council resources should never be used for purely political purposes.
	Standards for England have published guidance on the use of local authority resource for political campaigning, both in their guide to the local authority members' code of conduct and in their 'Case Review' for 2007. Both publications are available from Standards for England's website at:
	www.standardsforengland.gov.uk

Local Government: Insurance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an impact assessment was undertaken in respect of proposals to enable local authorities to set up mutual insurance schemes in the Economic Development, Local Democracy and Construction Bill; and what assessment has been made of the level of compliance of those proposals with competition rules.

Rosie Winterton: An impact assessment reporting on the impact of providing powers for local authorities to enter into mutual insurance arrangements was published on 13 October 2009. This is accessible at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/bestvalueauthorityia
	Companies through which authorities are required to operate when exercising the power to form and participate in mutual insurance bodies, as set out in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, will be required to comply with competition law.

Local Government: Public Consultation

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of the redress review; and which of its recommendations have been implemented.

Barbara Follett: In addition to staff time, the Department for Communities and Local Government spent £113,781 on the redress review.
	The Department accepted the recommendation to run a series of pilots for local authorities and partnerships to test and develop the Practitioner's Toolkit produced by the review when it was presented with the review in June 2009. Nine local authorities are piloting the toolkit, and further information is available on our website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/communityempowerment/communitiesincontrol/redressreview/
	One of these pilots is looking at how best partners could come together to deliver better services and remedies for people recently made redundant. The pilots also include elements as the sharing of learning at regional events, all of which were also recommendations of the review.
	The Government will be making a formal response to the review shortly.

Local Government: Publicity

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department has given to the Local Government Information Unit to conduct research in relation to the revised draft Code on Local Authority Publicity.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has given no funding to the Local Government Information Unit to conduct research in relation to any revised draft of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

Mortgages

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made an assessment of the variation between mortgage rates offered to homebuyers who wish to purchase a new-build home and those who wish to buy homes which have previously been owned and occupied.

John Healey: Communities and Local Government is working closely with HMT, FSA and all those involved in the sale of new homes to support a sustainable and transparent mortgage market.
	According to the CML Regulated Mortgage Survey, the average initial mortgage rate on new build was 4.63 per cent. in October 2009, compared to 4.42 per cent. on other properties.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average business rate bill was in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms based on 2009 prices in each year since 1997-98.

Barbara Follett: The average non-domestic rates bill (in £s) in England in each year since 1997-98, including the estimated average figures for 2009-10, both in cash and in real terms based on 2009 prices, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average non-domestic rates bill England 
			  £ 
			   Cash  Real terms 
			 1997-98 6,796 9,196 
			 1998-99 7,016 9,126 
			 1999-00 6,998 8,959 
			 2000-01 8,264 10,275 
			 2001-02 8,714 10,647 
			 2002-03 9,071 10,919 
			 2003-04 9,137 10,665 
			 2004-05 9,301 10,593 
			 2005-06 9,997 11,035 
			 2006-07 10,275 11,059 
			 2007-08 10,330 10,637 
			 2008-09 11,274 11,142 
			 2009-10 (estimated) 12,145 12,145 
		
	
	The data are taken from National non-domestic rates (NNDR) returns submitted by all billing authorities in England. Figures for 2009-10 are estimates.
	Average business rate is calculated by dividing the net rate yield from local authority's lists by the number of hereditaments on the local list as at 31 December of the previous year.
	Comparisons between years may not be valid as the rateable values for individual properties, and hence the actual rates bills, vary greatly. In addition, the figures for 1998-99 to 2000-01 are affected by transfers of properties from the central list to local ones; transfers of crown properties to local lists and adjustments made to the multiplier at the time of the 2000 revaluation. Changes in the figures for the years around 2005-06 are also affected by adjustments made to the multiplier at the time of the 2005 revaluation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 884W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, if he will place in the Library a table showing the rateable values for  (a) all properties,  (b) small properties and  (c) large properties in each local authority area according to the (i) 2005 Ratings List and (ii) draft 2010 Ratings List.

Barbara Follett: A table showing the precise rateable values could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ordnance Survey: Photography

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what aerial photographs are contained in the Ordnance Survey Mastermap Address Layer 2 product; and to what scale such photographs are produced.

Ian Austin: There are no aerial photographs within OS MasterMap((r)) Address Layer 2.

Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's policy is on the number of statutory notices placed by local authorities in local newspapers; and what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on whether their job advertisements should be published in local newspapers.

Rosie Winterton: We have no policy about the number of statutory notices which local authorities may place in local newspapers.
	The Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, to which local authorities must have regard in coming to any decision on publicity, including their job advertisements, states that the media chosen for job vacancies should be in keeping with the objective of maintaining the politically independent status of local authority staff.

Rates and Rating

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) small and  (b) large properties in each local authority area there are on the (i) 2005 and (ii) 2010 Ratings List.

Barbara Follett: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the number of small and large hereditaments in England broken down by billing authority on the 2005 and the draft 2010 Rating Lists as at 2 November 2009. A hereditament is classified as small in the 2005 Rating Lists if it has a rateable value of less than £21,500 in London or £15,000 elsewhere. A hereditament is classified as small in the draft 2010 Rating Lists if it has a rateable value of less than £25,500 in London or £18,000 elsewhere. These data are consistent with the statistical release titled: "Non-domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Rating Lists-England and Wales", published on 18 December 2009. A copy of this statistical release is available at the following:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/VOA_Statistics_Release_Final.pdf
	The number of hereditaments has been rounded to the nearest 10.

Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on local authority waiting lists for social housing in England in April 2009.

Ian Austin: Figures on the number of households registered on social housing waiting lists were published on 26 November in the Statistical Release, "Local Authority Housing Statistics, England: 2008-09". This release can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing200809

Tenant Services Authority

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the Tenant Services Authority will have in  (a) determining policy on rent controls,  (b) inspecting local authorities and  (c) the Audit Commission's Comprehensive Area Assessment regime.

John Healey: Policy on rent controls is a matter for Government.
	Our intention is that the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) should have the role of deciding when an inspection of a local authority's landlord services is needed, and that the TSA should then commission the Audit Commission to carry out such an inspection. This policy was set out in our consultation document "The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Registration of Local Authorities) Order 2009", published in August 2009, and confirmed in our response to that consultation, which we published in November 2009.
	The TSA will participate with the Comprehensive Area Assessment regime alongside the other participating public service inspectorates.

Tenant Services Authority: Manpower

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff the Tenant Services Authority employs in its regulation team.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 November 2009,  Official Report, column 514W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to pages 80 and 81 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2008-09, for what reasons the UK Border Agency made overpayments of £9.6 million in respect of accommodation and direct support to asylum seekers whose eligibility for the support had ceased.

Phil Woolas: The reasons for the overpayment of £9.6 million were set out in the notes to the Home Office Resource Accounts.
	The notes also set out the actions taken by UK Border Agency to improve controls, these actions have been subject to continual review during the current financial year to ensure they have been effective.

Asylum: Housing

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were supported in accommodation in each parliamentary constituency in  (a) England and  (b) Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: A table showing asylum seekers supported in accommodation, by UK Government office region and parliamentary constituency, as at the end of September 2009, was made available in the Commons Library on 26 November 2009 as part of the quarterly publications.
	Information on immigration and asylum are published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics and the latest statistics for Q3 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web-site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.

Control Orders

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have been but are no longer subject to a control order are resident in the UK.

David Hanson: holding answer 6 January 2010
	As of 10 December 2009, the last date covered by the most recent written ministerial statement on control orders, 33 individuals had previously been but were no longer subject to a control order.
	The Government are not willing to comment on the residential status of individuals who may or may not be of current interest to the intelligence agencies and the police beyond the information that has already appeared in the public domain in ministerial statements and answers to both Houses, and in open court judgments on control orders.

Counter-terrorism

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) objectives and  (b) terms of reference are of the Association of Chief Police Officers' Prevent Channel project for which his Department has provided funding.

David Hanson: The Channel Project provides a mechanism for ensuring that individuals identified as vulnerable to violent extremism are referred to and assessed by a multi-agency panel. The panel decides on the most appropriate action or intervention required to reduce this vulnerability. It therefore has a key role to play in driving delivery of Objective three of the Prevent Strategy: "Supporting vulnerable individuals who are being targeted and recruited to the cause of violent extremism".
	The Association of Chief Police Officers is responsible for national delivery of Channel, which is currently operating across 12 police forces.

Crime: Computers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) investigations,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions were made for offences related to phishing attacks in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many  (a) investigations,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions were made for offences related to spamming in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many  (a) investigations,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions there were for offences involving the deceptive installation of adware on to computer systems in each of the last three years.

Alan Johnson: Information on the number of investigations undertaken by the police is not collected centrally. The Home Office do collect data on the number of offences that are recorded by the police.
	Phishing attacks, spamming and deceptive installation of adware are general terms. Specific offences, as defined in law, would be classified under the appropriate section of Computer Misuse Act 1990 dependent upon the circumstances of the individual offences. Such offences would then be recorded under Home Office classification 53B 'Preserved other fraud and repealed fraud offences (Pre Fraud Act 2006)'. Offences recorded under individual sections of the Computer Misuse Act cannot be separately identified from the other offences recorded within this offence classification.
	Prosecutions and convictions data are collected by the Ministry of Justice and are also related to offences as defined by legislation.

Departmental Fines

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies has to impose administrative penalties; what the statutory basis is for each such power; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies has recovered in administrative penalties in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 has provided a series of new sanctions for employers who employ illegal migrant workers. This includes a system of civil penalties, under which an employer can be fined up to £10,000 per person he/she is found to be employing illegally.
	Additionally, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals who work illegally commit a criminal offence and may be served with a fixed penalty fine of £1,000 under criminal law.
	Part II of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 enables the Secretary of State to impose a £2,000 fixed charge on any air or sea carrier for each non-European Economic Area passenger they bring to the UK who fails to produce, on request, a valid travel document satisfactorily establishing their identity and nationality and, if required, a valid visa.
	The Department can also impose a civil penalty on those responsible for carrying clandestine entrants, concealed in a vehicle. The maximum penalty which can be imposed upon the owner/hirer of such a vehicle is £2,000 per clandestine and upon the driver £2,000 per clandestine, the aggregated maximum per clandestine (applied where more than one person is responsible) is £4,000.
	The UK Borders Act 2007 enables the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control apply for an Identity Card for Foreign Nationals. Failure to comply with such a requirement may result in the imposition of a sanction, which may include a civil financial penalty up to a maximum of £1,000.
	The value of penalties recovered is set out in the table.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 8,512 
			 2007-08 6,844 
			 2006-07 5,787 
			 2005-06 5,932 
			 2004-05 5,872 
			 2003-04 6,843 
			 2002-03 5,279 
			 2001-02 6,783 
			 2000-01 8,892 
			 1999-2000 9,370 
		
	
	The police forces in England and Wales have the power to issue fixed penalty notices as a sanction against a specified list of offences, mainly related to public order (Penalty Notices for Disorder) and motoring.
	For the Department's agencies, no penalties are levied.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what pay band his Department's chief information officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Phil Woolas: The chief information officer of the Home Office is employed in a substantive senior civil service pay band two post. The CIO is responsible for a delegated budget of £5,109,000 for 2009-10.

Departmental Manpower

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials work in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism; how many flights  (a) within Great Britain and  (b) overseas officials in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Hanson: As of 31 October, 397 civil servants worked in the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT).
	We estimate that during 2008-09, the OSCT spent some £22,000 on flights within Great Britain and some £264,000 on flights overseas. We do not keep a central record of the number of flights taken by officials and this cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code and any other guidance as applicable contained within Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on (i) alcohol and (ii) entertainment in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office systems do not separately identify the cost of alcohol from overall entertainment costs, and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, we do retain records for hospitality provided by both civil servants and Ministers. The spend for 2008-09, the last 12 month period for which there are audited figures, was £50,371.
	Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which complies with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Hospitality is defined as the provision of food, drink and entertainment of non-civil servants at modest cost where it is beneficial to the interests of the Department.
	For the Department's agencies, the Criminal Records Bureau and the Identity and Passport Service's spend could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in each year since 2006.

Phil Woolas: Non-consolidated performance payments are an integral element of the staff reward package in the Home Office. They encourage and reward high performance. As non-consolidated payments, they have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs, for example pensions costs.
	The Home Office (including the UK Border Agency), as part of its annual pay arrangements, pays non-consolidated performance related payments to up to 35 per cent. of its staff. There are separate arrangements for the Department's senior staff, which are set by the Prime Minister for the whole senior civil service, following independent advice from the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	In the financial years for which data are available the total salary bill for staff in the Home Office and UKB and the proportion of which was paid in non-consolidated performance payments was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Total salary bill  Non-consolidated payments 
			 2005-06 752 4.28 
			 2006-07 723 4.45 
			 2007-08 710 4.48 
			 2008-09 791 4.75 
		
	
	It is also possible to give one-off non-consolidated special payments to members of staff in-year to reward exceptional achievements on a project or programme. The total cost of such payments in 2008-09 was £1.16 million the figure for 2007-08 was £2.56 million.

Departmental Publications

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects his Department's White Paper on policing to be published.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my written ministerial statement of 2 December 2009,  Official Report, column 127WS. The White Paper "Protecting the Public: Supporting the Police to Succeed" was published on 2 December 2009 at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform/protecting-the-public2835.pdf?view=Binary

Departmental Training

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course.

Phil Woolas: Data are not collected centrally on the number and cost of Home Office staff who have attended overseas training courses, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Expenditure

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on the removals process between 1 January and 1 December 2009.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide this information in the format requested.
	There are a range of costs, such as ticketing, escorting and detention costs that might be involved in removal and there are many staff involved in the removal process across the UK Border Agency, including seconded police officers. To disaggregate the funding and other resources in place to support the removals process from the overall budget and resources would incur disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2009,  Official Report, column 215W, on the sponsor register, how many institutions  (a) have had an application to join the sponsor register refused and  (b) have been removed from the register of licensed sponsors under Tier Four of the new immigration rules since 31 March 2009.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 January 2010
	There have been 228 institutions that have had an application to join the sponsor register refused between 31 March 2009 and 21 December 2009 under Tier 4.
	49 Tier 4 sponsors have been removed from the sponsor register between 31 March 2009 and 21 December 2009.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Extradition: USA

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his duty to assess the appropriateness of extraditing persons to the US in relation to health grounds applies  (a) at the time of the receipt of the US application,  (b) at the time of proceedings in the UK and  (c) at the time immediately before the extradition takes place; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 6 January 2010
	In the scheme of the Extradition Act 2003, it falls to the courts to determine whether health factors raise a barrier to a person's extradition. However, the Home Secretary has an implied power to withdraw an extradition order where, exceptionally, a new matter arises subsequent to the completion of all proceedings under the Act but before extradition takes place. The basis for this implied power is section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, which renders it unlawful for the Home Secretary, as a public authority, to act in a way which is incompatible with a convention right.

Firearms

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in  (a) England,  (b) Sussex and  (c) Lewes constituency were (i) killed and (ii) wounded by a firearm in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 6 January 2010
	Available information relates to crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been fired or used as a blunt instrument resulting in fatal and other injury. Data for England and the Sussex police force area, from 1997-98 up to and including 2007-08, are given in the following table. Constituency level data are not collected centrally.
	Firearm offence statistics for 2008-09 will be published on 21 January2010.
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used( 1)  resulting in injury: England total and Sussex police force area, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   Injury type 
			   Fatal injury  Serious( 2)  or slight injury 
			  1997 - 98   
			 England 52 745 
			 Sussex 1 15 
			
			  1998 - 99( 3)   
			 England 50 807 
			 Sussex 2 13 
			
			  1999 - 2000   
			 England 62 1,124 
			 Sussex - 16 
			
			  2000 - 01   
			 England 71 1,275 
			 Sussex - 13 
			
			  2001 - 02( 4)   
			 England 94 1,761 
			 Sussex 2 40 
			
			  2002 - 03( 5)   
			 England 78 2,041 
			 Sussex 1 20 
			
			  2003 - 04   
			 England 68 2,245 
			 Sussex 1 9 
			
			  2004 - 05( 6)   
			 England 76 3,704 
			 Sussex - 25 
			
			  2005 - 06   
			 England 48 3,679 
			 Sussex - 23 
			
			  2006 - 07   
			 England 56 2,855 
			 Sussex 1 23 
			
			  2007 - 08   
			 England 53 3,101 
			 Sussex - 17 
			 (1) Where firearms have been fired or used as a blunt instrument. (2) A serious injury is the one which necessitated detention in hospital or involved fractures, concussion, severe general shock, penetration by a bullet or multiple shot wounds. (3) There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. (4) Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002. (5) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this. (6) More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences, particularly those committed by imitation weapons.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments the Gangmasters Licensing Authority has made to Cavendish Communications in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has not made any payments to Cavendish Communications in the last 12 months.

Hotels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hotel room nights were booked by officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each year since 2007; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies spent on fees of third party agents in relation to booking hotel accommodation in each such year.

Phil Woolas: The current contract for booking hotel rooms for the Home Office Headquarters, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and UKBA commenced in December 2008. Available information from this contract and since 2007 from the contract with the Identity and Passport Service on the number of nights booked by officials is as follows:
	
		
			  Hotel room nights 
			   January 2007 to November 2008  December 2008 to November 2009 
			 (a) Home Office Headquarters (1)- 12,345 
			 (b) UKBA (1)- 16,356 
			 (b) CRB (1)- 5,977 
			 (1)Information unavailable. 
		
	
	
		
			  Hotel room nights 
			   2007  2008  2009( 1) 
			 (b) IPS 6,159 10,165 9,376 
			 (1)To 18 December 2009. 
		
	
	For the period from December 2008 to November 2009, the total fee of the third party agents relating to booking hotel accommodation for both the (i) Home Office Headquarters and (ii) CRB and UKBA equates to £144,469.
	Information on hotel room nights booked and the hotel booking fee of the third party agents relating to the previous contract for the Home Office Headquarters and the UKBA for the period January 2007 to December 2008 is unavailable and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
	For the Identity and Passport Service the third-party agents booking fee is incorporated into the hotel room cost, and a separate figure is unavailable.
	Expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Immigration: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who are awaiting a decision on an application for leave to remain in the UK;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who made an application for leave to remain in the UK in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is not collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case records.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 10 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. R. Z. Ullah.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 10 December 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 83W, on police, when the chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency will send a reply to the hon. Member for Wellingborough.

David Hanson: holding answer 6 January 2010
	In the answer of 7 December (pursuant to holding answer of 3 December) I indicated that the matter had been passed to the NPIA for reply in June 2009. The chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency, Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, in fact wrote to the hon. Member on 30 June 2009 in response to his original query. I have sent the hon. Gentleman a copy of the letter following this parliamentary question.

Members: Correspondence

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State expects to reply to the letters from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed dated 29 June, 17 September and 9 November 2009 concerning spouse sponsorship.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 January 2010
	I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 December 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S. Mpofu;
	(2)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. H. J. Kaabane;
	(3)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Mortlock and Miss D. Taylor;
	(4)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. K. Mirza;
	(5)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 11 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mr G. Singh;
	(6)  when he plans to reply to the letter of 11 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mr. M. A. Chaudhry.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 December 2009.

Police Stations: Statistics

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department decided to stop recording the number of police stations operational in the UK in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Previously information on the number of police stations opened and closed in England and Wales was collected centrally from police authorities via a yearly survey. The last full survey was for March 2007.
	The data that the survey generated were not generally reliable. The management of the police estate and the allocation of resources are matters for police authorities and chief constables to determine.
	In the interests of reducing bureaucracy, these data are no longer collected and held centrally.

Police: Complaints

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 83W, on police, when the Independent Police Complaints Commission requested police forces to start providing information relating to complainant disability; and when the resultant data will be published.

David Hanson: holding answer 6 January 2010
	As stated previously, the IPCC is responsible for the collation and publication of complaint statistics for England and Wales and has done so since it was established in 2004.
	The IPCC first captured information relating to complainant disability in April 2009. However, the IPCC had concerns about the accuracy and quality of the data and did not include the data in its Complaints Statistics for 2008-09. The IPCC will not publish the data until it is confident of their quality and accuracy and is working with forces to ensure the quality and accuracy of the disability data on complaints statistics recorded by forces.

Police: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department plans to provide to each police authority in 2010-11; and what mechanism is used to determine the allocation of funding to police authorities.

David Hanson: The provisional police funding settlement for 2010-11 was announced on 26 November 2009. Formula grant funding for all police authorities was provisionally set at £8.3 billion. The following table lists the grant allocation for each police authority.
	Government funding for police authorities is chiefly allocated using a funding formula that distributes resources on the basis of relative need.
	
		
			  Table of police grant allocations by English and Welsh police authority 2009-10 to 2010-11 
			  Police authority  2009-10 formula allocation ( 1)( ) (£ million)  2010-11 allocation( 1)( ) (£ million)  Change on 2009-10 formula allocation  (percentage) 
			  English shire authorities
			 Avon and Somerset 179.7 186.1 3.5 
			 Bedfordshire 70.8 73.1 3.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 81.0 83.5 3.0 
			 Cheshire 120.5 123.5 2.5 
			 Cleveland 97.7 100.1 2.5 
			 Cumbria 67.2 68.9 2.5 
			 Derbyshire 112.6 116.2 3.1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 186.4 191.1 2.5 
			 Dorset 65.3 66.9 2.5 
			 Durham 91.4 93.7 2.5 
			 Essex 177.9 183.1 2.9 
			 Gloucestershire 59.3 60.8 2.5 
			 Hampshire 207.5 213.0 2.7 
			 Hertfordshire 121.2 124.9 3.0 
			 Humberside 128.4 131.8 2.6 
			 Kent 192.1 197.4 2.7 
			 Lancashire 204.1 209.7 2.7 
			 Leicestershire 118.0 121.4 2.9 
			 Lincolnshire 64.3 66.3 3.2 
			 Norfolk 87.6 89.8 2.5 
			 North Yorkshire 76.7 78.6 2.5 
			 Northamptonshire 75.5 77.5 2.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 141.4 146.0 3.3 
			 Staffordshire 120.6 123.8 2.7 
			 Suffolk 71.0 72.7 2.5 
			 Surrey 101.8 104.4 2.5 
			 Sussex 169.8 174.1 2.5 
			 Thames Valley 238.2 244.7 2.8 
			 Warwickshire 54.1 55.6 2.7 
			 West Mercia 121.8 124.9 2.5 
			 Wiltshire 65.2 66.8 2.5 
			 Shires total 3669.0 3770.0 2.8 
			 
			  English metropolitan authorities
			 Greater Manchester 458.9 472.5 3.0 
			 Merseyside 267.4 274.3 2.6 
			 Northumbria 249.9 256.2 2.5 
			 South Yorkshire 204.1 209.2 2.5 
			 West Midlands 486.1 504.3 3.8 
			 West Yorkshire 339.2 350.5 3.3 
			 Mets total 2005.7 2067.1 3.1 
			 
			  London authorities
			 GLA - Police 1978.3 2027.7 2.5 
			 City of London(2) 21.0 21.8 N/A 
			 English total 7674.0 7886.6 2.8 
			 
			  Welsh authorities
			 Dyfed-Powys(3) 54.4 55.8 2.5 
			 Gwent(3) 82.6 84.7 2.5 
			 North Wales(3) 80.1 82.1 2.5 
			 South Wales(3) 181.5 186.4 2.7 
			 Welsh total 398.6 409.0 2.6 
			 Total 8072.6 8295.7 2.7 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest £100,000. Grant as calculated under the Local Government Finance Report (England) and Local Government Finance (No.2-Provisional Settlement Police Authorities) Report (Wales). Table includes the effects of floors and scaling. (2) Figures for the City of London relate to Home Office Grant only as calculated in the Police Grant Report (England and Wales). Revenue support grant is allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions. The City is grouped with education authorities for the purposes of grant floors. (3) Welsh figures include Home Office floor funding.

Police: Manpower

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police civilian staff are employed in Gloucester; and what the equivalent figures were in 1997.

David Hanson: holding answer 6 January 2010
	Police personnel statistics are not collected by parliamentary constituency. Data for police officers have been collected by Basic Command Unit (BCU) since April 2001 and data for police staff have been collected by BCU since April 2002.
	There were 292 police officers in Forest and Gloucester BCU as at 31 March 2002 and 359 police officers as at 31 March 2009.
	There were 69 police staff in Forest and Gloucester BCU as at 31 March 2003 and 114 police staff as at 31 March 2009.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to his Department's publication, "Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Consolidating Orders and Codes of Practice Summary of Responses", page 18, if he will place in the Library a copy of the response from  (a) the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health,  (b) the Chartered Institution of Waste Management,  (c) the British Broadcasting Corporation,  (d) the Department of Communities and Local Government/Fire Services in England,  (e) the National Undercover Working Group Legal Group,  (f) the Chief Surveillance Commissioner and  (g) Interception of Communications Commissioner.

David Hanson: The Home Office intends to publish all responses on its website and will do so shortly. Copies of the responses will also be placed in the Library.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to his Department's publication, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Consolidating Orders and Codes of Practice Summary of Responses, page 16, which of the 41 respondents supported local authority use of the Act for dog fouling, littering or school enrolment checking.

David Hanson: Seven were from members of the public, three identified themselves as individuals from local authorities and the remaining 31 were responses from local authorities.

Religious Buildings: Registration

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 28 October 2009,  Official Report, column 474W, on "Non-domestic Rates: Religious Buildings", which organisations have had applications to be certified under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 rejected by the Registrar General since 1979.

Meg Hillier: The Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 (the Act) provides for places of meeting for religious worship, excluding those belonging to the Established Church, to be certified to the Registrar General. A number of tests are applied by the Registrar General when a place of meeting for religious worship is certified to him. This includes the application of the judgment by the Court of Appeal in the Segerdal case in 1970. The main finding in the judgment is that the words 'place of meeting for religious worship' in the Act connote a place of which the principal use is for people to come together as a congregation to worship God or do reverence to a deity. A further test is whether the principal use of the building is for worship or for other matters, such as a private home or social club.
	Once the Registrar General is satisfied that the place of worship certified to him is capable of recognition, he adds it to the register of such places which, under the Act, he has a duty to maintain.
	The duty placed on the Registrar General does not extend to maintaining and retaining records of places or organisations that are not capable of recognition as places of worship under the Act, and the records held in this respect by the Registrar General are incomplete. However, the records that the Registrar General does hold confirm that since 1979, the following organisations have made unsuccessful applications for buildings certified as places of worship to be added to the register:
	Miracle Revival Assembly
	Calvary Full Gospel Church
	Christians not otherwise designated
	Roman Catholics
	The Methodist Church
	Who object to be designated by any distinctive Religious Appellation
	Order of Christ Spirit
	Christian Spiritualist
	Jehovah's Witnesses
	Centre for Christ
	Pentecostal Assemblies of God
	Baptists
	Mount Zion Holiness Assembly
	Church of Christ
	Christian Fellowship in Huddersfield
	Interdenomination
	Christians Nazarenes Methodist and Pentecostal
	First Church of Christ, Scientist
	Wentworth Road Christian Fellowship
	Assemblies of God
	Llanelli Baptist
	Great Conrad Free Church
	Calvary Church of God
	Church of God
	Good News Church Macclesfield
	The Spiritualist Sanctuary
	German Speaking Evangelical Lutheran Congregation
	The Order of Women Freemasons
	Muslims
	Gur Sangat
	Orthodox Christians
	Cramlington Spiritualist Church
	Frankley Methodist /Anglican Church
	Fellowship of Churches of Christ
	God's Church of Peace
	Penzance Christian Fellowship
	Nailsea Christian Fellowship
	Pentwyn Christian Fellowship
	Officers and Members of Emmanuel Pentecostal Faith Church of God
	Church of Christ of Bethlehem
	Weybridge United Reformed Church
	Horringer Court Christian Fellowship
	Christchurch Abbeydale
	Brotherhood Movement
	Caribbean House Chaplaincy
	Greater World Christian Spiritualist Association
	The Independent African Caribbean Church of Christ of Nazareth
	The Pentecostal Evangelistic Assembly
	Letchworth Lodge of the Theosophical Society in England
	The Holiness Church of God Inc.
	The Othona Community
	Trinity Church of Christ
	The New Benedictine Order
	The Spiritualists National Union Redwoods
	Redditch Christian Fellowship
	The British Sailor's Society
	Emmanuel Christian Fellowship
	Highfield Free Church
	Good News Church
	Hammarens Ordens Sallskap-The Order of the Hammer
	Apostolic Church of God Seventh Day
	Mechanics
	Korean Presbyterian Church
	Coptic Orthodox Church
	United Reformed Church
	The Ashford Christian Spiritualist Church
	Universal Life Church
	Amazing Grace and Friends
	Tavistock Community Church
	Apostolics
	Trinity Church of Christ
	Church of England and United Reformed Church
	Confucians (Buddhists, Goddess of Mercy)
	Apostolic Church International (in UK)
	Members of the Correllian Nativist Church International
	Buddhists (New Kadampa Tradition)
	Cantheist
	Freedom Family Church
	Redeemed Christian Church of God
	C.J's City
	St. Andrews Church of God
	Wiccan
	Life Sanctuary Church
	Kriya Yoga Ashram
	Jesus Christ The Great Salvation Fellowship
	Mount Sion Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ

Security: Olympic Games 2012

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are plans to contract private security firms for the 2012 Olympics.

David Hanson: The Private Security Industry will play a role in delivering a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic games. LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will require an estimated 6,000 people to protect their assets, protect the perimeters of their venues, screen people and vehicles entering the venues and also to work as safety stewards in the venues.
	The Olympic and Paralympic Security Directorate (OSD) within the office for security and counter-terrorism (OSCT) of the Home Office is supporting an innovative project called 'Bridging the Gap' which aims to train up to 10,000 young adults to Security Industry Authority standards to fill these roles. The OSD is working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), LOCOG and the 'Bridging the Gap' project to ensure that sufficient numbers are trained and that there is a legacy for the young people in terms of job opportunities in the Private Security Industry, and other uniform services after the games. The OSD is also engaging the Private Security Industry to ensure they are aware of the challenge ahead, not just in securing the games, but also in ensuring that levels of service to businesses elsewhere in the UK are maintained.

Terrorism Act 2000

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students have been  (a) stopped,  (b) detained and  (c) arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 in the last five years.

David Hanson: The Home Office does not hold statistics which are recorded in this way. However, the Home Office collates statistics on the number of terrorism arrests and these were included in a Bulletin published for the first time on 13 May 2009 (Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008). The first edition of the Bulletin is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0409.pdf
	The second issue of the Bulletin was published on 26 November 2009 and is available via the link below:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1809.pdf

UK Border Agency

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget is of the UK Border Agency Abu Dhabi hub for 2009-10.

Phil Woolas: Abu Dhabi is the regional operations centre for the Gulf and Pakistan, dealing with visa applications from Iran, Pakistan, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Abu Dhabi will be the largest UK Border Agency operation overseas by application volume. There are 142 staff.
	Abu Dhabi carries out the full range of tasks associated with visa processing, including the administration, pre-assessment and assessment of visa applications, document verification, post-decision work, including appeals, administrative reviews, correspondence and complaints handling, risk and airline liaison, integrity management, and regional management.
	Under the finance model agreed with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, upon whose platform the Abu Dhabi hub operates, the budget is not constructed in a way that accounts for particular posts.
	The costs passed to the UK Border Agency from the FCO are a combination of variable costs, such as those related to headcount, and fixed charges such as management support and depreciation. The variable costs paid by the UK Border Agency for 2009-10 are around £6.5 million. The fixed element for the Abu Dhabi hub cannot easily be disaggregated from the global total and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

UK Border Agency: Empty Property

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to pages 80 and 81 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2008-09, for what reasons the UK Border Agency made payments of £1.3 million to landlords for empty properties.

Phil Woolas: A large estate such as that occupied by the UK Border Agency is likely to have some surplus property at times, especially as it is consolidating the number of properties it has to deliver better value for the taxpayer overall. Where a property is empty the Agency is required to declare the costs associated with that property while UKBA retains the lease. In 2008-09 payments for the empty properties were £1,072 million, comprising rent, rates, and a nominal amount for utilities. This represents 1 per cent. of the cost of running the UKBA estate. Overall the agency has benefited from reduced property, IT and productivity gains from rationalisation that outweigh these costs.

Vehicle Intelligence Scheme

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) objectives and  (b) scope is of the Association of Chief Police Officers' Vehicle Intelligence Scheme which receives funding from his Department.

David Hanson: The purpose of the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS) is to retain a strategic overview of issues affecting the UK specifically with regard to vehicle crime and vehicle enabled crime in order to maintain reductions in vehicle crime and vehicle enabled crime in the UK; improve recovery rates of stolen vehicles; and identify emerging threats and trends, developing a range of tactical options which are effective, timely and proportionate.
	In order to deliver against its purpose, all the activities of AVCIS are categorised within six aims:
	to reduce theft of vehicles;
	to reduce theft from vehicles;
	to increase recovery of stolen vehicles;
	to reduce vehicle fraud;
	to deliver bureau functions (including TruckPol); and
	to develop AVCIS capability to deliver against its aims.
	AVCIS delivers against this remit through close partnership with local police forces and regional intelligence units and national law enforcement agencies such as UKBA, SOCA and HMRC. It also works very closely with partners in the private sector, including insurers, manufacturers, vehicle tracking companies and others.

Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many checks undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau a dispute was  (a) raised and  (b) upheld in each year since 2002, broken down by reason for the dispute.

Alan Johnson: The following table details a breakdown of the number of checks undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) which were the subject of a dispute since the launch of the Disclosure service in 2002. Officials at the Bureau have advised me that they have recently performed a data cleansing exercise which has resulted in some changes to the previous figures disclosed. I have been assured that this exercise has now been completed.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  Total 
			  Error type  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld  Raised  Upheld 
			 Department for education and skills and Department of children schools and families 0 0 3 3 5 5 4 3 10 8 23 15 20 12 15 11 80 57 
			 Department of health 1 1 0 0 2 2 3 3 7 5 8 1 4 1 2 2 27 15 
			 Identification error 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 
			 Local police force 108 108 321 318 619 602 794 764 804 656 1,787 678 2,378 926 1,302 567 8,113 4619 
			 Other (data cleansing) 569 121 1,189 151 1,280 26 1,456 38 1,467 11 89 1 13 0 11 0 6,074 348 
			 Police national computer (PNC) 408 408 796 792 930 892 1,004 920 1,043 748 3,538 1,297 2,495 810 1,015 332 11,229 6,199 
			 Police national computer identification 588 473 766 621 775 762 667 648 740 683 954 586 1,296 778 647 471 6,433 5,022 
			 System error 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 
			 Uncategorized 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 32 0 932 0 972 0 
			 Total 1,674 1,111 3,077 1,887 3,613 2,291 3,931 2,379 4,072 2,112 6,408 2,578 6,238 2,527 3,924 1,383 32,937 16,268

Vetting: Councillors

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the  (a) Independent Safeguarding Authority and  (b) Criminal Records Bureau has provided guidance to local authorities on the undertaking of checks in respect of councillors.

Meg Hillier: It is the Home Office, working with other Government Departments, rather than the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the Criminal Records, which is responsible for preparing guidance on the operation of the Vetting and Barring Scheme.
	The Home Office is working with the Department for Communities and Local Government and policy leads in the Department of Health/Department of Children Schools and Families to produce specific guidance on the requirements introduced by the Vetting and Barring Scheme for elected members and other local authority officials. Information on the Vetting and Barring scheme has been issued that allows individuals and organisations to assess where they fall under the scheme. This is being supplemented by comprehensive generic guidance and sector specific guidance where required. All of the guidance will be in place by July 2010.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Art Works

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on art works in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: Works of art displayed in the Department for Work and Pensions are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions made by the GAC were published on 5 October 2009 and are available on the GAC website at:
	http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/information/publications.asp

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assets of her Department are planned to be sold in each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Government have stated their intention to realise £16 billion in asset disposals over the period 2011-14 and will publish further details of opportunities to commercialise business assets in the coming weeks.
	One of this Department's key investment strategies during the 2004 spending review period was to reduce asset ownership, and contract for key services. The successful implementation of that strategy resulted in a greatly reduced asset base.
	The DWP does not own any land or property. Asset transfer has already been completed through a PFI contract known as PRIME, returning exchequer receipts of £250 million in 1998 and £100 million in 2003 when DWP outsourced its estate. This arrangement covers the majority of property occupied by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (a Crown non-departmental public body). There is currently no intention to sell any of the Commission's assets during the years in question.
	Planned asset sales for the Health and Safety Executive (a Crown Non-departmental public body) are outlined in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			Vechicles( 1)  Land 
			 2009-10 NBV 235 5 
			  Sales 262 1 
			 
			 2010-11 NBV 362 10 
			  Sales 362 10 
			 
			 2011-12 NBV 347 0 
			  Sales 347 0 
			 
			 2012-13 NBV 277 0 
			  Sales 277 0 
			 
			 2013-14 NBV 362 0 
			  Sales 362 0 
			 (1) Vehicle sales are mainly related to the Health and Safety Executive's Private User Scheme which provides vehicles on a three year contract for staff travelling in excess of 5,000 business miles per annum on a shared cost basis. 
		
	
	The DWP disposed of the majority of its vehicle fleet in August 2007. The Department's IS/IT and telephony requirements were outsourced to EDS (now part of Hewlett Packard) and BT in 2005.
	Leasehold improvements to Jobcentre Plus sites are classed as assets but cannot be disposed of independently so the impact on value is negligible, as the assets themselves (the buildings) are not owned by the Department.

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside her Department's building attended by civil servants in her Department there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by her Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many external consultants work for her Department.

Jim Knight: Where DWP contracts for consultancy support it does so primarily by reference to the outcomes or services to be delivered and not by reference to a given number of consultants. Accordingly, the Department does not hold centralised information on the number of consultants being employed on such contracts at any point in time.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many plasma screen televisions her Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Jim Knight: The number of plasma screen televisions purchased on behalf of the Department, including related costs, are as set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number  Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 3 2,264 
			 2007-08 9 4,725 
			 2008-09 5 2,344 
			 2009-10 9 2,770 
		
	
	Information prior to 2006-07 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what pay band her Department's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Jim Knight: The Department's chief information officer is employed within the senior civil service pay band 3 on a permanent contract. He is responsible for a budget of £1,191 million in 2009-10.

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) are employed by and  (b) work for her Department.

Jim Knight: The number of press officers employed by the Department in its national press office and across the English regions, Scotland and Wales for the last accounting year 2008-09 is 38. In addition to their responsibilities to the Department for Work and Pensions, they provide services for Jobcentre Plus and The Pension, Disability and Carers Service.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by her Department since 1 May 2008.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	 The Pensions Act 2008 created the following offences:
	(i) a wilful failure by an employer to comply with the duties to automatically enrol or re-enrol their employees into pension saving, or allow them to opt into pension saving. These enrolment and opt in duties are set out in sections 3(2), 5(2) and 7(3) of the Pensions Act 2008 and the offence is at section 45 of the Act;
	(ii) an existing offence of providing false or misleading information (Pensions Act 2004) was amended. It now includes information which must be provided to the Pensions Regulator by employers about action they have taken or intend to take for the purposes of their duties under the Pensions Act enrolment provisions.
	 The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 created the following offences:
	Sections 32D and 32K of the Child Support Act 1991 (as inserted by sections 22 and 23 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008) create the offences of failure to comply with the requirements of an order made under sections 32A (regular deduction order), 32E (interim lump sum deduction order) and 32F (final lump sum deduction order), these sections also contain a power to designate any regulations made under sections 32C and 32J as falling within the scope of the offence.
	Section 36 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 created a regulation making power to impose a duty of failing to notify a change of address on a person liable to make payments of child support maintenance. The power when exercised would set the duty out in the Child Support Information Regulations 2008. The offence is inserted into section 14A of the Child Support Act 1991.
	 The Welfare Reform Act 2009 created the following offences:
	Section 55 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 substitutes the provision made by section 36 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2009 extending the duty and the scope of the offence to include failure to notify any other change of circumstances.
	Section 51 of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 inserts section 39CA into the Child Support Act 1991, to require persons against whom an order disqualifying a person from holding a driving licence or travel authorisation is made to surrender the document within a required period (seven days beginning with the start of the period for which the order has effect) and where there is good reason for not surrendering within that period, as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period. A person who fails to comply with this requirement commits an offence.

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff of her Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Jim Knight: The Department does not have a redeployment pool. Any members of staff who become surplus unavoidably because of organisational or other changes are managed within normal lines of management.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies spent on (i) alcohol and (ii) entertainment in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	 Alcohol
	The Department does not currently keep a separate record of expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. Such expenditure is included within the hospitality account. Expenditure on alcohol and entertaining is based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money. Accordingly, alcohol is provided only as an exception and then only with the specific written authority of a small number of designated Senior Civil Servants.
	 Entertainment
	Departmental expenditure on hospitality to the end of the financial year 2008-09 was £82,362. This is broken down as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Jobcentre Plus 6,970 
			 Pensions, Disability and Carers Service 11,509 
			 Corporate 63,883 
			 Total 82,362 
		
	
	The 2008-09 published accounts show expenditure on hospitality as £116,652. This figure includes expenditure incurred by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (£5,691) and the Health and Safety Executive (£28,599) which are non-Departmental Public Bodies.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria will be used to determine which of those aged 18 to 24 years old will be covered by  (a) the young person's guarantee and  (b) the flexible New Deal; and if she will estimate the number in each such group in 2010-11.

Jim Knight: Beginning from January 2010, all jobseekers aged between 18 and 24 will have access to the Young Person's Guarantee. As the Chancellor announced in the pre-Budget report, any young person on Jobseeker's Allowance for six months or more will now be guaranteed an offer of a job, work-focussed training or work experience.
	In Flexible New Deal Phase One areas, young people will be offered a place on the Young Person's Guarantee after six months of unemployment, and will be referred to the Flexible New Deal when they reach 12 months of unemployment.
	In Flexible New Deal Phase Two areas, the New Deal for Young People will continue to run until the Flexible New Deal goes live in October 2010. In these areas, young people will also be offered a place on the Young Person's Guarantee from six months, the only difference being that if they choose to take up training or a work experience place these will be delivered through the New Deal options.
	The information on the number of people who will be participating is not available, as we do not project unemployment figures.

Housing Benefit

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the expenditure by local authorities on housing benefit administration in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09.

Helen Goodman: The Department does not hold information on local authorities' expenditure on housing benefit administration.
	Such information as is available for local authorities in England is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; in Scotland it is a matter for the Scottish Parliament; and in Wales it is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claims were not processed  (a) within the Jobcentre Plus target time and  (b) within the national average time in each (i) Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) region in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how long on average it took to process a claim for jobseeker's allowance in each  (a) region and  (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each month since February 2009; how many unprocessed jobseeker's allowance claims there were in (i) total and (ii) each region in each month since February 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claims were not processed (a) within the Jobcentre Plus target time and (b) within the national average time in each (i) Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) region in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement and how long on average it took to process a claim for JSA in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each month since February 2009; how many unprocessed jobseeker's allowance claims there were in (i) total and (ii) each region in each month since February 2009; and if she will make a statement. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Information is not available down to District level as JSA claims are processed at our Benefit Delivery Centres. The Management Information supplied will be for each Benefit Delivery Centre and Region.
	Jobcentre Plus gathers information on the volume of outstanding claims from its internal benefit processing systems. As claims are received in Benefit Delivery Centres they are recorded on this system. The count of outstanding claims is a snap shot, of which claims have yet to be fully processed to the point a decision is made on entitlement, on the last working day of every month. The data provided may also slightly under estimate the volume of claims outstanding as some cases could be in transit and/or be waiting to be logged onto the system.
	Jobcentre Plus has a target for the average actual clearance time taken to process JSA claims. The current target is 11.5 days. This time is calculated across an average of all the claims cleared in any given month looking at the date the customer first contacted Jobcentre Plus or the customers first day of unemployment, whichever is the later. The end date is the date a formal decision is made on the claim and a notification is issued to the customer on entitlement.
	Jobcentre Plus does not hold information on what volume or proportion of JSA claims were not processed within the Jobcentre Plus target time (11.5 days) and within the national average time (10.1 days, Year to 31.10.09). However, it does hold information on the volume of claims that were processed within 0-5 days, 0-10 days, 0-16 days, and 0-21 days. Jobcentre Plus's Management Information systems do not hold information on proportions-these would need to be clerically calculated from the information provided.
	The information that is available to answer your first question has been placed in the Library.
	Information on average clearance times for JSA claims and volumes of outstanding claims for the period from February to April 2009 for each Benefit Delivery Centre and Region has been placed in the Library. Information on average clearance times for JSA claims and volumes of outstanding claims for the period from May to October 2009 was placed in the Library on 27 November 2009 in answer to your question: how many unprocessed JSA claims there were in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last six months; what the average time taken to process claims in each instance was (PQ 300684).

Local Housing Allowance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 48W, on local housing allowance, what the timetable is for removal of the £15 excess.

Helen Goodman: On 7 December 2009 the pre-Budget report announced that the Government had decided not to implement the withdrawal of the £15 excess in April 2010.
	The Government are considering all aspects of the local housing allowance alongside its wider strategy for housing benefit reform in its consultation document "Supporting People in to Work: The Next Stage of Housing Benefit Reform". Our proposals will ensure that housing benefit is better able to help people into work, is fairer, more efficiently delivered and represents good value for money for the taxpayer.

National Insurance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applicants for national insurance numbers have been refused national insurance numbers following right-to-work interviews in each quarter since July 2006.

Jim Knight: The available information is in the table:
	
		
			  National insurance number refusals following right to work interviews in each quarter since July 2006 
			   Quarter 1 April-June  Quarter 2 July-September  Quarter 3 October-December  Quarter 4 January-March  Total 
			 2006-07 - 825 968 1,801 3,594 
			 2007-08 1,936 1,902 1,638 1,643 7,119 
			 2008-09 1,562 2,526 3,106 2,668 9,862 
			 2009-10 2,641 n/a n/a n/a 2,641 
			 "-" Indicates no data available as the period was before the introduction of the right to work test. n/a = Not yet available.  Note: The right to work test was introduced in July 2006  Source: Jobcentre Plus Management Information

New Deal Schemes

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse of the New Deal Gateway to Work programme was in the last 12 months; and how many participants the programme has had in each year since its inception.

Jim Knight: The New Deal Gateway to Work programme is a component of both the New Deal for Young People and the New Deal 25 Plus.
	The cost of the New Deal Gateway to Work programme in the 12 months to March 2009 for the 18 to 24-year-old client group was £41.4 million.
	For the age 25-plus client group, it is not possible to identify the costs of the New Deal Gateway to Work programme separately from other types of provision undertaken during the gateway period. This is because expenditure on this provision is not recorded separately from other provisions. The total cost of all gateway provision for the 25 plus year old client group was £15.8 million in the 12 months to March 2009.
	The following table sets out the number of participants who have started on the Gateway to Work provision for each year since inception.
	
		
			  Starters on the Gateway to Work course-a component of New Deal 
			  Financial year  New Deal for Young People  New Deal 25 Plus  Combined New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus 
			 2001-02 44,990 3,480 48,470 
			 2002-03 51,730 7,430 59,160 
			 2003-04 50,410 11,730 62,140 
			 2004-05 43,470 12,470 55,940 
			 2005-06 49,710 8,190 57,900 
			 2006-07 60,310 6,900 67,210 
			 2007-08 58,140 13,910 72,050 
			 2008-09 67,800 13,860 81,660 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The Gateway to Work course was introduced to New Deal for Young People in July 2000, so the first full year data is for 2001-02. 3. A pilot in a number of Districts for New Deal 25 Plus ended in March 2006, followed by optional use nationally.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Social Security Benefits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance her Department gives people whose benefit claims are rejected or withdrawn on grounds of excess capital on what future rundown of capital will be regarded as reasonable.

Jim Knight: If a customer is not entitled to an income-related benefit due to excess capital a decision notice will be issued to the customer that includes reasons for the disallowance and details of their right to a reconsideration of the decision and, where appropriate, to an appeal. Customers are also informed that they will need to reapply if their circumstances change, in order for eligibility to be reassessed. No specific advice is given as to the future rundown of capital in these cases. This is because subsequent decisions on whether deprivations have occurred are a matter of judgement by independent decision makers.
	If it is established that the customer has deliberately deprived themselves of capital in order to obtain income- related benefits, the customer will be treated as still possessing that capital when assessing entitlement to benefit. Their claim will be subject to a calculation to determine at what point this notional capital would have been expected to reduce below the capital limit and so enable the customer to make a new claim. The calculation is based on the prevailing benefit rates. The customer will be given details of the calculation in their case, together with the rights of review and, where appropriate, appeal.

Social Security Benefits: Grandparents

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for which benefits and allowances administered by her Department a retired grandparent is entitled to claim in respect of a grandchild who is being fostered by that grandparent.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) on 15 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 1009-10W.

Work Capability Assessment

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral statement of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 818-20, on benefit reform, what changes to the work capability assessment  (a) would be desirable and  (b) are planned.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 6 January 2010
	We are currently reviewing the work capability assessment with the help of a range of stakeholders and medical professionals. We believe there are some changes that could be made and plan to publish a report detailing these once the review is complete.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what efficiency savings projects the Government Equalities Office put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to the Office's savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office is outside the remit of the Operational Efficiency Programme as it employs less than 250 people.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality on how many occasions she visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Ministers for Women and Equality have made the following visits since November 2008.
	
		
			  (a) Scotland 
			   Visits made 
			 Minister for Women and Equality (Harriet Harman) 3 
			 Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (Maria Eagle) 0 
			 Parliamentary Secretary (Michael Jabez Foster) 1 
			 Solicitor-General and Equality Bill Lead (Vera Baird) 1 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Wales 
			   Visits made 
			 Minister for Women and Equality (Harriet Harman) 1 
			 Deputy Minister for Women (Maria Eagle) 1 
			 Parliamentary Secretary (Michael Jabez Foster) 2 
			 Solicitor-General and Equality Bill Lead (Vera Baird) 0 
		
	
	 (c) Northern Ireland
	None. Equality is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many plasma screen televisions the Government Equalities Office has purchased since its inception; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Michael Jabez Foster: None.

JUSTICE

Council Tax: Non-payment

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for North West Norfolk of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1214W, on council tax: non-payment, how many applications for liability orders were made to each magistrates' court in 2008-09;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reason for the increase in applications for liability orders.

Bridget Prentice: The table shows the number of applications for council tax and business rate liability orders made within each accounting centre in 2008-09.
	The figures have been extracted from the intranet fees accounting system (IFAS). Fee income and volume are captured by accounting centres in IFAS. Some accounting centres comprise of more than one magistrates court. However, some of these accounting centres merge the management information which means it is not possible to supply data at individual court level.
	Applications for liability orders attract the same fee charge, and are therefore recorded on the IFAS in the same way. It is not therefore possible to distinguish between applications for liability orders made in relation to council tax and business rates.
	The overall number of applications made in 2008-09 as shown (3,121,089) is marginally different from my answer (3,124,406) to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) of 18 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 1214-1215W. The latter figure was extracted from the IFAS database at the time the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk tabled his question, but in order to obtain a breakdown by accounting centre, data have been re-extracted from the IFAS. The IFAS is a "live" database, meaning that, inevitably, the normal course of regular system updating means that various additions, deletions, amendments and corrections will have been made to the data it contains relating to applications in 2008-09, giving rise to the marginal difference.
	Enforcement action in respect of non-payment of council tax is entirely a matter for local authorities. The Ministry of Justice has made no assessment of the reasons behind the increase in council tax liability orders.
	
		
			  Number of applications for council tax liability orders made by accounting centre in England and Wales, 2008-09 
			  Accounting centre  Number 
			 City of London Magistrates 1,525 
			 Horseferry Road Magistrates 26,826 
			 Bexley Magistrates 7,035 
			 Bromley Magistrates 8,957 
			 Camberwell Green Magistrates 81,412 
			 Croydon Magistrates 20,786 
			 Greenwich Magistrates 29,837 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames Magistrates 6,855 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames Magistrates 9,141 
			 London-West Group Magistrates 82,726 
			 Wimbledon Magistrates 21,182 
			 South Western Magistrates 15,935 
			 London North East Area Magistrates 133,815 
			 Barnet Magistrates 7,160 
			 Hendon Magistrates 16,333 
			 Brent Magistrates 29,010 
			 Enfield Magistrates 19,585 
			 Harrow Magistrates 5,854 
			 Highbury Corner Magistrates 48,092 
			 Haringey Magistrates 16,453 
			 Uxbridge Magistrates 13,569 
			 Bedfordshire Magistrates 47,465 
			 Cambridgeshire Magistrates 27,536 
			 Essex Magistrates-Civil 80,578 
			 Hertfordshire Central Accounting Unit 21,905 
			 Kent Central Finance Unit-East Kent Magistrates- Finance Centre 25,575 
			 Kent Central Finance Unit-North and Central Kent Magistrates 50,728 
			 Norfolk Magistrates 41,269 
			 Suffolk Magistrates Court 37,912 
			 Surrey Magistrates-Central Finance Unit 35,381 
			 Sussex Magistrates 80,870 
			 Central Buckinghamshire Magistrates-Aylesbury 34,828 
			 Oxfordshire Magistrates 27,277 
			 Berkshire Magistrates-Reading 42,763 
			 Bath Magistrates 3,452 
			 Bristol Magistrates 24,733 
			 Taunton Magistrates 7,442 
			 North Somerset Magistrates 12,840 
			 North Avon Magistrates-Yate 9,041 
			 South Somerset Magistrate 9,491 
			 Devon and Cornwall-North Devon Magistrates 3,583 
			 Devon and Cornwall-East Cornwall Magistrates 14,924 
			 Devon and Cornwall-West Cornwall Magistrates 9,428 
			 Devon and Cornwall-Central Devon Magistrates 9,413 
			 Devon and Cornwall-South Devon Magistrates 11,057 
			 Devon and Cornwall-Plymouth District Magistrates 18,183 
			 Dorset Magistrates-Central Finance Office 41,821 
			 Gloucestershire Magistrates-Central Finance Office 27,696 
			 Wiltshire-Swindon Magistrates 25,667 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight-North East and North West Hampshire Magistrates 17,059 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight-South West Hampshire Magistrates 33,025 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight-South and South East Hampshire Magistrates 35,065 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight-Isle of Wight (IOW) Magistrates 7,750 
			 Gwent Magistrates 33,176 
			 North Wales Magistrates-Central Finance Office, Denbigh 34,330 
			 South Wales Area 1-Central Finance Unit Unisys 65,349 
			 Dyfed Powys Magistrates 24,629 
			 High Peak 4,304 
			 North East Derbyshire and Dales Magistrates 15,812 
			 Southern Derbyshire Magistrates 33,969 
			 Leicester Magistrates 26,165 
			 Loughborough Magistrates 28,239 
			 Lincolnshire Magistrates 24,162 
			 Northamptonshire Magistrates 32,771 
			 Mansfield (Rosemary St.) Magistrates 9,110 
			 Newark Magistrates 4,431 
			 Nottingham Magistrates 44,782 
			 Worksop Magistrates 7,432 
			 Staffordshire Magistrates 67,958 
			 Walsall Magistrates 17,582 
			 Sandwell Magistrates 10,191 
			 Wolverhampton Magistrates Court 18,932 
			 Dudley and Halesowen Magistrates 17,329 
			 Warwickshire Magistrates 20,059 
			 West Mercia Magistrates 37,309 
			 Birmingham (VLC) Magistrates-(Corporation St.) 77,568 
			 Coventry Magistrates 18,697 
			 Solihull Magistrates 10,472 
			 Sutton Coldfield Magistrates 1,120 
			 Cumbria Magistrates-Central Payments Unit 24,066 
			 Bolton Magistrates 19,831 
			 Bury Magistrates 11,006 
			 Manchester Magistrates 66,085 
			 Oldham Magistrates 18,837 
			 Rochdale Magistrates 20,926 
			 Salford Magistrates 9,870 
			 Stockport Magistrates 22,185 
			 Tameside Magistrates 334 
			 Trafford Magistrates 17,966 
			 Wigan and Leigh Magistrates 20,180 
			 East Lancashire Magistrates-Blackburn 19,838 
			 Fylde Coast Magistrates-Blackpool 24,617 
			 Pennine Magistrates-Burnley 20,514 
			 South West Lancashire Magistrates-Chorley 8,847 
			 Preston and Lancaster Magistrates 16,978 
			 Knowsley Magistrates 11,472 
			 Liverpool Magistrates 62,608 
			 St. Helens Magistrates 9,786 
			 Cheshire Accounting Division(1) 34,811 
			 Cleveland Magistrates 44,277 
			 Durham Magistrates 41,219 
			 Humber-East Yorkshire Magistrates-Beverley 34,182 
			 Humber-North Lincolnshire Magistrates-Scunthorpe and Grimsby Central Finance Unit 12,564 
			 Humber-North Lincolnshire Magistrates-Scunthorpe and Grimsby Central Finance Unit 9,064 
			 North Yorkshire Magistrates 18,762 
			 Northumbria Magistrates 106,822 
			 South Yorkshire Magistrates 104,221 
			 West Yorkshire Magistrates 145,498 
			 Total England and Wales 3,121,089 
			 (1) Was North, South and West pre 1 July 2009  Source: Intranet Fees Accounting System

Crimes Against Humanity: Jurisdiction

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to restrict the universal jurisdiction of UK courts for crimes against humanity; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: The offence of crimes against humanity is found in the International Criminal Court Act 2001. It covers crimes committed in England and Wales and Northern Ireland by any person and crimes committed outside the UK by UK nationals, persons subject to UK service jurisdiction and UK residents (including persons who subsequently become resident in the UK).
	The Government have no plans to restrict this jurisdiction of the UK courts for crimes against humanity.

Debt Collection

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in what circumstances bailiffs can be used to collect unpaid credit card debts.

Bridget Prentice: Credit card judgment debts are treated as any other civil judgment debt for the purposes of enforcement, subject to any challenges the debtor makes in respect of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (as amended by Consumer Credit Act 2006). However consumer credit debts remain in the county court for execution and they cannot be transferred up to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court enforcement officer as a normal county court judgment can.

Departmental Billing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is fully committed to achieving compliance with the Prime Minister's target of paying suppliers within 10 days, and is a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code. The MoJ has been collecting prompt payment data since November 2008 and the number and proportion of invoices paid within 10 days is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Period name  Total MoJ invoices paid in month  MoJ prompt invoices as percentage  Number of invoices paid in 10 days 
			  2008
			 November 98,917 64 63,307 
			 December 99,565 59 58,743 
			 
			  2009
			 January 104,870 55 57,679 
			 February 101,035 67 67,693 
			 March 124,418 66 82,116 
			 April 79,783 82 65,422 
			 May 66,807 92 61,462 
			 June 83,154 88 73,541 
			 July 81,379 89 72,427 
			 August 71,723 88 63,116 
			 September 93,244 92 85,784 
			 October 99,820 92 91,834 
			 November 99,248 93 92,301

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Michael Wills: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only by manually collecting the data from each division within the Ministry of Justice at a disproportionate cost. Expenditure on conferences must be incurred in accordance with the principles of the Treasury publications Managing Public Money and Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Claire Ward: The Ministry of Justice has been responsible for 237 statutory instruments since May 2008. The number of offences which these created and abolished can be established only at disproportionate cost since a manual trawl of the legislation would be required.

Driving Offences: Disqualification

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the Magistrates' Association on sentencing policy for people convicted of driving whilst disqualified.

Claire Ward: The Chairman of the Road Traffic Committee of the Magistrates' Association corresponded in 2009 with Ministers on the subject of sentencing for the offence of driving while disqualified.

Drugs: East Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) trials and  (b) convictions there were for drug offences in East Sussex between 2000 and 2009.

Claire Ward: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts in the Sussex police force area for drug offences, from 2000 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Information held centrally cannot be broken down sufficiently to supply data for East Sussex, therefore Sussex police force area data have been provided in lieu.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for drug offences, Sussex police force area 2000 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2000 1,009 818 
			 2001 1,306 1,081 
			 2002 1,383 1,179 
			 2003 1,164 1,075 
			 2004 974 861 
			 2005 1,162 1,026 
			 2006 1,166 1,013 
			 2007 1,317 1,141 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Insider Trading: Convictions

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted for offences related to insider dealing in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: The number of persons found guilty at all courts in England and Wales for offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 from 2005 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to insider dealing, England and Wales 2005 to 2007( 1,2) 
			  Offence description  Statute  2005  2006  2007 
			 Insider dealing Criminal Justice Act 1993, Sec 52 4 2 6 
			  
			 Disclosure, obstruction making false or misleading statements etc Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, Secs 346, 351, 352, 397 and 398; Sch 4 1 2 3 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. W hen a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) documents and  (b) other items of information held in electronic format by his Department of each security classification have been submitted to the Iraq Inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Angela E. Smith) on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 840-41W. The Ministry of Justice is in the process of providing the Iraq Inquiry with all the documents and electronic information it holds which has been requested to date. This information spans every level of Government security classification.

Jamie Douglas

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Parole Board expects to consider the application for parole of Jamie Douglas.

Claire Ward: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly with details of this case.

Legal Advice and Assistance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the Legal Services Commission has chosen the period between April and August 2009 to assess the annual run-rate of new matter start allocations for providers of the Advice and Assistance Scheme (Legal Help).

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission chose the period April 2009 to August 2009 as this was the most up to date information available from legal aid providers when a review was undertaken in September 2009.

Legal Aid: Finance

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many responses he received to the consultation paper 18/09 on legal aid funding reforms;
	(2)  if he will publish the responses to the consultation paper 18/09 on legal aid funding reforms; and when he plans to announce his decisions on policy changes to be made in the light of the consultation responses.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 141WS, in which my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Lord Bach) announced the publication of a partial response to the consultation on Legal Aid Funding Reforms.
	A total of 435 responses were received. There are no plans to publish the responses to the consultation. A copy of the consultation response and accompanying impact assessment has been placed in the House Library. A response to the proposals in relation to experts fees will be published in the new year. The documents are also available on the consultation section of the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gsi.gov.uk

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders imprisoned under indeterminate sentence for public protection are in secure hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Prisoners may be detained in hospital under powers of the Mental Health Act 1983, either if directed to hospital by the court on sentencing or if directed by the Secretary of State during their sentence. They may also be remitted to prison during sentence. On 17 December 2009, Ministry of Justice records showed 113 prisoners in hospital under powers of the 1983 Act, who were also serving indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection.

Prison Accommodation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cells in the prison estate are not counted for the purposes of operational capacity; and for what reason each such cell is not counted.

Maria Eagle: Directors of offender management must ensure that each cell used for the confinement of prisoners has sufficient heating, lighting and ventilation and is of adequate size for the number or prisoners it is approved for. Each such cell is recorded on a prison's cell certificate.
	Not all accommodation recorded on a prison's cell certificate is part of its certified normal accommodation and in the vast majority of cases will also not form part of its operational capacity. This is due to a range of operational reasons, which include those cells that are part of segregation units (where prisoners should only be held under a governor's express authority), cells in in-patient health care centres (which are only suitable for prisoners with relevant health needs) and holding cells in prison receptions (which are not suitable for holding prisoners overnight).
	As of 14 December 2009, based on information from central records, about 2,712 places were not included in the certified normal accommodation (or uncrowded capacity) of the prison estate. This equates to an average of 19 cells per prison.
	These figures have been drawn from central administrative/recording systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Release

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of increasing the period of time a person with a terminal illness can be released early from prison on compassionate grounds.

Claire Ward: Early release on compassionate grounds should only be permitted in the most exceptional circumstances and where the risk of reoffending is past. It is right, therefore, to apply stringent criteria. Prisoners with a terminal illness can receive the appropriate care and treatment while in custody and we believe that early release from their sentence should only be considered in the final stages or where they become too ill to remain in prison. The criteria applied in medical circumstances state:
	"the prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness and death is likely to occur soon; or the prisoner is bedridden or similarly incapacitated".
	The three-month period is suggested as a guide for the sort of life expectancy that should be taken into consideration when applying the criteria but is just one of a number of factors that are taken into account.

Prisoners Release

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) offenders and  (b) offenders on temporary licence were released from HM Prison Service into the Probation Service, in each year since 2004.

Maria Eagle: Adult offenders serving a sentence of 12 months or more and all young offenders under 22 years of age are, upon release, subject to supervision by the probation services.
	These figures are published annually in Offender Management Caseload Statistics (OMCS). Copies are in the House of Commons Libraries and on the MOJ website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm
	The following table shows the number of discharges from determinate sentences from prisons in England and Wales. The figures are the sum of adult prisoners released from sentences of 12 months or more (including indeterminate sentences) and all young offender releases.
	
		
			   Prisoners released 
			 2004 42,000 
			 2005 42,000 
			 2006 40,400 
			 2007 42,700 
			 2008 45,600 
		
	
	Data for 2009 will be available in the OMCS 2009 which will be published in July 2010.
	Prisoners released on temporary licence remain the responsibility of the prison during the period of temporary release. However, where prisoners are liable to supervision on their normal release date but are released early under the End of Custody Licence scheme, they are required to meet their probation officer during the ECL licence period and to have regular contact after that in line with their supervision programme.
	The number of ECL releases for those prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or more and less than four years for the year 2007 and 2008 was 2,941 and 5,643. Data for 2007 are based on the period from 29 June, when the scheme started, to 31 December.
	All figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Body Searches

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on the strip-searching of females under the age of 18 years in prison.

Maria Eagle: In February 2009 the National Offender Management Service introduced new full search arrangements aimed at reducing the frequency of full searches by a more intelligence-led approach for all females detained within prisons in England. The new arrangements do not require the removal of underwear unless there is intelligence or suspicion at any stage that an item is concealed. The arrangements are kept under constant review, and a full assessment completed in August achieved a positive outcome. A further detailed assessment will be conducted early in spring 2010.

Prisoners: Location

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice at what average distance from home  (a) young adult prisoners,  (b) adult prisoners and  (c) children prisoners were held in each year since 1997, broken down by sex.

Maria Eagle: Table A shows the average travelling distance from home in miles of remand and sentenced prisoners held in HMPs accommodation by gender. Data prior to 2006 are not available in the format requested.
	All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. Approximately 60 per cent. of prisoners (both male and female) are shown to have given a recognised address.
	If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine distance from home, including next-of-kin address and committal court address.
	
		
			  Table A 
			   Adult (21+)  Young offender (18 to 20)  Juvenile (15 to 17) 
			  Month  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Femal e 
			 September 2006 49 58 48 57 56 63 
			 September 2007 50 59 49 50 55 71 
			 September 08 50 57 50 53 52 55 
			 May 2009 50 55 49 51 51 55 
		
	
	Table B shows the average distance from home in miles for remand and sentenced young people in .secure children's homes and secure training centres from 2001 to 2009 by gender. Data prior to 2001 are not available in the format requested.
	Home area is taken as a young person's address at the time of sentence. If no address is recorded, the address of the Youth Offending Team that the young person is attached to is used as a proxy.
	
		
			  Table B 
			  Male Female 
			 2001 59 75 
			 2002 59 61 
			 2003 56 61 
			 2004 56 69 
			 2005 52 63 
			 2006 48 61 
			 2007 54 68 
			 2008 52 59 
			 2009 47 52

Prisoners: Mothers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many mother and baby units exist for female prisoners in England and Wales; and what the capacity for female prisoners and their children is of each.

Maria Eagle: There are seven mother and baby units (MBUs) in England providing an overall capacity of 75 places. Each unit can normally accommodate one set of twins. However, the number of places available at any one time can fluctuate for operational reasons, and currently stands at 69. The following table lists each prison with an MBU and the current capacity.
	
		
			  Establishment  MBU capacity 
			 Askham Grange 10 
			 Bronzefield 12 
			 Eastwood Park 12 
			 Holloway 13 
			 New Hall 3 
			 Peterborough 12 
			 Styal 7 
			 Total 69

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  who the respondents were to the second round of consultation on voting rights for prisoners;
	(2)  how many respondents to the second round of consultation on voting rights for prisoners were convicted prisoners.

Michael Wills: The second stage consultation on the voting rights of convicted prisoners closed on 29 September. A detailed analysis of the replies to the second stage consultation-including a breakdown of respondents-will be available upon publication of the Government's response. There have been over 100 responses to the consultation from a number of different groups including charities, local authorities, members of the public and prisoners, which we are currently considering carefully.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each prison in England and Wales were held in overcrowded accommodation in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The average number of prisoners in overcrowded accommodation in each prison for the period April to October 2009 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Establishment name  Average number of prisoners held in overcrowded conditions: April to October 2009 
			 Acklington 0 
			 Albany 0 
			 Altcourse 891 
			 Ashfield 0 
			 Ashwell 27 
			 Askham Grange 0 
			 Aylesbury 0 
			 Bedford 293 
			 Belmarsh 372 
			 Birmingham 640 
			 Blantyre House 0 
			 Blundeston 127 
			 Brinsford 35 
			 Bristol 162 
			 Brixton 228 
			 Bronzefield 0 
			 Buckley Hall 67 
			 Bullingdon 423 
			 Bullwood Hall 17 
			 Bure 0 
			 Camp Hill 148 
			 Canterbury 211 
			 Cardiff 530 
			 Castington 2 
			 Channings Wood 32 
			 Chelmsford 233 
			 Coldingley 24 
			 Cookham Wood 0 
			 Dartmoor 46 
			 Deerbolt 0 
			 Doncaster 761 
			 Dorchester 166 
			 Dovegate 95 
			 Dover 0 
			 Downview 0 
			 Drake Hall 0 
			 Durham 708 
			 East Sutton Park 0 
			 Eastwood Park 46 
			 Edmunds Hill 0 
			 Elmley 403 
			 Erlestoke 0 
			 Everthorpe 151 
			 Exeter 409 
			 Featherstone 23 
			 Feltham 0 
			 Ford 0 
			 Forest Bank 666 
			 Foston Hall 0 
			 Frankland 0 
			 Full Sutton 0 
			 Garth 32 
			 Gartree 0 
			 Glen Parva 413 
			 Gloucester 145 
			 Grendon 0 
			 Guys Marsh 86 
			 Haslar 0 
			 Haverigg 25 
			 Hewell 377 
			 High Down 234 
			 Highpoint 43 
			 Hindley 0 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 
			 Holloway 0 
			 Holme House 263 
			 Hull 578 
			 Huntercombe 0 
			 Kennet 321 
			 Kingston 0 
			 Kirkham 0 
			 Kirklevington 0 
			 Lancaster 155 
			 Lancaster Farms 83 
			 Latchmere House 0 
			 Leeds 608 
			 Leicester 305 
			 Lewes 136 
			 Leyhill 0 
			 Lincoln 469 
			 Lindholme 79 
			 Littlehey 123 
			 Liverpool 349 
			 Long Lartin 0 
			 Low Newton 50 
			 Lowdham Grange 89 
			 Maidstone 55 
			 Manchester 651 
			 Moorland 77 
			 Morton Hall 0 
			 Mount 31 
			 New Hall 55 
			 North Sea Camp 2 
			 Northallerton 165 
			 Norwich 193 
			 Nottingham 335 
			 Onley 0 
			 Parc 315 
			 Parkhurst 35 
			 Pentonville 533 
			 Peterborough 216 
			 Portland 0 
			 Preston 638 
			 Ranby 236 
			 Reading 123 
			 Risley 65 
			 Rochester 0 
			 Rye Hill 0 
			 Send 0 
			 Shepton Mallet 47 
			 Shrewsbury 226 
			 Stafford 0 
			 Standford Hill 0 
			 Stocken 69 
			 Stoke Heath 133 
			 Styal 20 
			 Sudbury 0 
			 Swaleside 95 
			 Swansea 323 
			 Swinfen Hall 26 
			 Thorn Cross 0 
			 Usk\Prescoed 241 
			 Verne 62 
			 Wakefield 0 
			 Wandsworth 1,095 
			 Warren Hill 0 
			 Wayland 91 
			 Wealstun 38 
			 Wellingborough 2 
			 Werrington 0 
			 Wetherby 0 
			 Whatton 67 
			 Whitemoor 0 
			 Winchester 420 
			 Wolds 101 
			 Woodhill 353 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 124 
			 Wymott 104

Probation Service: Disabled

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many staff of the Probation Service in England and Wales who have been diagnosed with a disability have been dismissed under the sickness attendance procedure since 1 April 2008;
	(2)  how many staff of the Probation Service in England and Wales who have been diagnosed with a disability are currently subject to stage  (a) 1,  (b) 2 and  (c) 3 of the formal sickness attendance process.

Maria Eagle: Information about the reasons for dismissal or about individuals subject to the various stages of the formal sickness attendance process is not collated centrally as this is a local probation area management issue.
	It is not possible to obtain the required information without incurring disproportionate costs as it would entail each of the 42 probation boards/trusts to collate and compile the information. This would then have to be submitted to the centre for further collation and presentation.

Radicalism: Crime Prevention

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many officials of his Department have responsibility to tackle extremism by developing interventions and programmes for extremist offenders;
	(2)  how many units within his Department have responsibility to tackle extremism by developing interventions and programmes for extremist offenders.

Maria Eagle: There are two units within the National Offender Management Service developing interventions and programmes for extremist offenders who work closely together:
	 National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Interventions and Substance Misuse Group (ISMG)
	This unit, which is funded by the Home Office, is made up of four full-time and one part-time staff and is managed by a senior principal chartered forensic psychologist.
	 NOMS Chaplaincy HQ
	The NOMS Chaplaincy HQ has set up a sub-committee (made up of eight part-time staff, and with oversight from the NOMS ISMG) for designing a faith-based intervention for tackling those offenders who may be vulnerable to extremism.

Reoffenders

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the most recent figures are for the re-offending rate of people aged  (a) under 18,  (b) between 18 and 21 and  (c) over 21 years old for people who have been released from prison.

Maria Eagle: Table 1 contains the one year reoffending rates for offenders aged under 18 who were discharged from custody in the first quarter of each year for which data are available.
	
		
			  Table 1: One year reoffending rates for offenders aged under 18 discharged from custody, 2000, 2002-07 
			  Cohort  Number of offenders  Rate of reoffending  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 2000 Q1 912 75.7 482.1 
			 2002 Q1 959 72.9 465.9 
			 2003 Q1 786 73.8 442.5 
			 2004 Q1 815 76.4 414.8 
			 2005 Q1 844 73.1 409.5 
			 2006 Q1 817 77.0 404.0 
			 2007 Q1 778 75.3 359.0 
		
	
	Table 2 contains the one year reoffending rates for adult offenders aged 18 to 21, and 22 and over, who were discharged from custody in the first quarter of each year for which data are available.
	
		
			  Table 2: One year reoffending rates for adults discharged from custody, 2000, 2002-07, by age of offender 
			  Age  Cohort  Number of offenders  Rate of reoffending  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 18-21 2000 Q1 3,653 63.9 333.0 
			  2002 Q1 3,369 63.7 349.5 
			  2003 Q1 2,985 61.9 334.9 
			  2004 Q1 2,980 58.8 301.8 
			  2005 Q1 2,682 56.5 266.8 
			  2006 Q1 2,500 53.8 243.0 
			  2007 Q1 2,285 56.2 267.7 
			  
			 22 and over 2000 Q1 12,064 47.6 219.1 
			  2002 Q1 12,196 52.6 271.2 
			  2003 Q1 11,361 51.8 264.4 
			  2004 Q1 12,769 50.3 241.7 
			  2005 Q1 11,897 47.4 219.9 
			  2006 Q1 11,864 44.9 201.1 
			  2007 Q1 10,525 45.3 213.5 
		
	
	 Note:
	Reoffending data are not available for 2001 due to a problem with archived data on court orders. Since it will not substantially increase the knowledge on the current progress on reoffending, no resources have been allocated to fix this problem.
	More information on the reoffending rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website.
	Adult reoffending:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	Juvenile reoffending:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm

Sentencing: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people received a  (a) simple caution,  (b) conditional caution,  (c) cannabis warning and  (d) penalty notice for disorder following a court appearance in each London local authority in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many young people received a  (a) reprimand,  (b) final warning and  (c) penalty notice for disorder following a court appearance in each London local authority in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: Cautions, cannabis warnings, reprimands, warnings, and penalty notices for disorder are out of court disposals issued by the police, authorised persons and the Crown Prosecution Service to deal proportionately with less serious offences which do not merit prosecution at court. Data reported centrally on the number of cautions, cannabis warnings, reprimands, warnings or penalty notices for disorder issued do not identify if an offender has previously appeared in court.
	The number of persons receiving a caution, reprimand or warning, or given a penalty notice for disorder, in Greater London, by age group, from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in table 1 as follows. Currently, data on simple or conditional cautions are not published separately although the Crown Prosecution Service is planning to publish conditional cautioning data on a monthly basis from February 2010.
	Cautions and court proceedings data are not available at local authority level therefore information is given in the table for Greater London (includes the Metropolitan and the City of London police force areas).
	Cautions, penalty notices for disorder, and court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	Since 2004 the police may issue an adult offender with a cannabis warning for simple possession of cannabis (prior to 2006 referred to as a "street warning"), in accordance with guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Home Office Statisticians advise that an offence can be shown as detected once the police have issued a cannabis warning. The data collected centrally relate to the number of offences of cannabis possession detected by means of a cannabis warning and may not be the same as the number of cannabis warnings issued to offenders. Information on the number of cannabis warnings recorded by the police as method of detection for possession of cannabis offences for the London region from 2004-05 to 2008-09 can be viewed in table 2 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of offenders issued with a caution, reprimand, warning and penalty notice for disorder in London( 2) , by age group, 2003 to 2007( 3,4,5) 
			   Cautioned  Penalty notice for disorder (PNDs)( 6) 
			   Total cautioned( 7)  Aged 10 to 17 reprimand  Aged 10 to 17 warning  Aged 18 or over cautioned  Total PNDs  Aged 16 and 17  Aged 18 and over 
			 2003 32,297 6,248 3,313 22,736 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2004 32,433 6,851 4,128 21,454 12,818 342 12,476 
			 2005 35,959 7,180 3,880 24,899 18,266 888 17,378 
			 2006 44,694 8,577 4,282 31,835 21,172 1,192 19,980 
			 2007 49,706 8,587 4,600 36,519 25,070 1,306 23,764 
			 (1) Not applicable. (2) Includes Metropolitan police force area and City of London police force area. (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. (4) The cautions, reprimand and warning statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned, reprimanded or received a warning for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (6) The Penalty Notice for Disorder Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. (7) Includes Reprimands and Warnings.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The number of cannabis warnings recorded by the police as method of detection for possession of cannabis offences, for the London Region( 1) , 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			  Police force area  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 2) 
			 London region 13,665 21,722 30,927 47,415 47,710 
			 (1) Comprises City of London Police and Metropolitan Police. (2) Since 26 January 2009, Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) can be given for cannabis possession. Up to the end of March 2009 such PNDs were counted together with cannabis warnings.  Source:  Home Office Statistics.

Victim Support Schemes: Lancashire

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much Government funding has been allocated to victim support in the Lancashire Constabulary area in each year since 1996.

Claire Ward: Prior to 2001 records of specific allocation of how Victim Support decided to allocate Government funding, broken down into areas is not available. The following table gives the detail of the allocation of Government funding to Lancashire from 2001 to date.
	
		
			   Total Government funding to victim support (£ million)  Funding allocated to Lancashire 
			 1996-97 11.68 n/a 
			 1997-98 12.68 n/a 
			 1998-99 12.68 n/a 
			 1999-2000 17.5 n/a 
			 2000-01 18.6 n/a 
			 2001-02 25.1 724,010 
			 2002-03 29.3 580,325 
			 2003-04 30 685,263 
			 2004-05 30 640,119 
			 2005-06 30 671,248 
			 2006-07 30 667,785 
			 2007-08 35.8 707,646 
			 2008-09 37 794,296 
			 n/a = Not available.

Young Offender Institutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people there are in  (a) the Josephine Butler Unit at Downview Young Offender Institution (YOI),  (b) the Mary Carpenter Unit at Eastwood Park YOI,  (c) the Rivendell Unit at New Hall YOI and  (d) the Toscana Unit at Foston Hall YOI; and how much it cost to keep a person in each of those units in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The following table sets out the number of young women (aged 17) held in young offender institutions on 30 October 2009, and the average annual cost per place at each.
	The data have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Establishment  Number of young women held  Annual cost per place 2009-10 (£000) 
			 Josephine Butler Unit, Downview YOI 15 125 
			 Mary Carpenter Unit, Eastwood Park YOI 15 133 
			 Rivendell Unit, New Hall YOI 18 136 
			 Toscana Unit, Foston Hall YOI 15 102

Young Offender Institutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of young offenders' institutions have  (a) a resettlement officer and  (b) a social worker.

Maria Eagle: Each young offender institution (YOI) has an offender management team that which oversees resettlement issues and fulfils the establishment's obligations in this regard. The size and composition of the team will depend on a number of factors including the role of the YOI and the size of the population.
	There are currently 22.5 social worker posts in YOIs and dedicated units for young women in England and Wales. Eleven and a half of these posts are vacant.

Young Offenders: Females

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many females under 18 years were in custody  (a) on remand and  (b) after sentence in each month in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The following table gives the numbers of females aged under 18 years in custody in all prison establishments  (a) on remand and  (b) under sentence in England and Wales in each month between June 2006 and June 2009:
	
		
			On remand  Under sentence  Total 
			 2009 June 12 42 54 
			  May 15 44 59 
			  April 10 37 47 
			  March 13 34 47 
			  February 12 34 46 
			  January 15 36 51 
			  
			 2008 December 15 40 55 
			  November 18 50 68 
			  October 13 59 72 
			  September 17 56 73 
			  August 16 48 64 
			  July 17 53 70 
			  June 14 57 71 
			  May 13 56 69 
			  April 17 50 67 
			  March 14 44 58 
			  February 22 43 65 
			  January 20 43 63 
			  
			 2007 December 15 45 60 
			  November 20 44 64 
			  October 19 50 69 
			  September 15 53 68 
			  August 21 58 79 
			  July 18 60 78 
			  June 19 56 75 
			  May 23 58 81 
			  April 18 43 61 
			  March 17 55 72 
			  February 21 50 71 
			  January 24 42 66 
			  
			 2006 December 16 42 58 
			  November 16 50 66 
			  October 19 49 68 
			  September 21 49 70 
			  August 29 48 77 
			  July 21 46 67 
			  June 19 50 69 
		
	
	This information is available from the Ministry of Justice monthly briefing at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	The following table shows numbers of females aged under 18 years in custody at the end of each month since October 2006 in Secure Children's Homes and Secure Training Centres in England and Wales.
	
		
			On Remand  Under sentence  Total 
			 2009 October 12 83 95 
			  September 11 79 90 
			  August 13 100 113 
			  July 16 96 112 
			  June 12 99 111 
			  May 16 86 102 
			  April 16 95 111 
			  March 20 96 116 
			  February 14 94 108 
			  January 18 102 120 
			  
			 2008 December 15 86 101 
			  November 20 110 130 
			  October 14 112 126 
			  September 11 98 109 
			  August 19 109 128 
			  July 22 113 135 
			  June 14 131 145 
			  May 22 113 135 
			  April 35 101 136 
			  March 24 108 132 
			  February 23 104 127 
			  January 20 99 119 
			  
			 2007 December 17 126 143 
			  November 19 133 152 
			  October 19 135 154 
			  September 16 144 160 
			  August 16 149 165 
			  July 23 138 161 
			  June 15 128 143 
			  May 18 108 126 
			  April 16 112 128 
			  March 17 121 138 
			  February 26 111 137 
			  January 18 111 129 
			  
			 2006 December 14 115 129 
			  November 19 114 133 
			  October 13 105 118 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Young Offenders: Rehabilitation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what detoxification facilities are available in  (a) the Josephine Butler Unit at Downview Young Offender Institution (YOI),  (b) the Mary Carpenter Unit at Eastwood Park YOI,  (c) the Rivendell Unit at New Hall YOI,  (d) the Toscanna Unit at Foston Hall YOI,  (e) Hassockfield Secure Training Centre (STC),  (f) Oakhill STC,  (g) Medway STC and  (h) Rainsbrook STC.

Maria Eagle: The Young People's Substance Misuse Service delivers services in all under-18 young offender institutions including the four special units for 17-year-old girls. All young people entering a young offender institution are assessed for substance misuse needs and an appropriate care pathway is developed, specific to the young person's individual needs. Staff at all establishments are able to access NHS facilities or provide appropriate medical treatment.
	The health care service provided to young people in secure training centres includes the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of physical and mental disorders, including addiction to drugs, alcohol, smoking and other intoxicating substances. All young people entering an STC are assessed by health care staff and have access to NHS facilities and specialists when clinically required.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of  (a) 12,  (b) 13,  (c) 14,  (d) 15,  (e) 16,  (f) 17,  (g) 18 and (h) 19 year-olds who were released from each young offenders institution in each of the last five years re-offended (i) within the first month, (ii) between one and six months, (iii) between six and 12 months and (iv) between 12 and 24 months after release.

Maria Eagle: Reoffending data are based on offences committed within one year of an offenders' release from custody. Reoffending data covering longer time periods are not collated and therefore the proportion of offenders that reoffended between 12 and 24 months after release are not available.
	Juvenile reoffending covers offenders aged 17 and under. A release from custody could be from a secure training centre, a secure children's home or a young offender institution. Data are not broken down by type of release establishment or by individual release establishment.
	Table 1 as follows shows the rate of reoffending for each of the last five years for which data are available for offenders in the specified age groups. Those aged 12 through to 15 have been banded due to the small number of offenders in each of the groups.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders released from custody aged 12-17, and proportion that committed a reoffence within one year, split by age and date of offence, juveniles, 2003-07 
			 Percentage of offenders that committed a reoffence 
			  Cohort  Age  Number of offenders  Within 1 month of release  Between 1 and 6 months of release  Between 6 and 12 months of release  Total 
			 2003 12-15 133 9.0 46.6 22.6 78.2 
			  16 235 20.0 44.3 12.3 76.6 
			  17 418 15.3 44.0 11.5 70.8 
			
			 2004 12-15 209 19.1 42.6 18.7 80.4 
			  16 244 18.0 45.9 13.1 77.0 
			  17 362 16.6 45.0 12.2 73.8 
			
			 2005 12-15 193 19.7 45.6 15.5 80.8 
			  16 275 19.6 38.2 12.4 70.2 
			  17 374 17.4 39.6 14.7 71.7 
			
			 2006 12-15 200 19.5 44.5 19.0 83.0 
			  16 262 20.6 43.5 15.3 79.4 
			  17 355 14.6 42.0 15.2 71.8 
			
			 2007 12-15 171 19.3 43.9 15.8 78.9 
			  16 246 17.5 44.7 15.0 77.2 
			  17 361 17.5 40.7 14.1 72.3 
		
	
	Offenders that are aged 18 and 19 are included in the adult dataset. We do not have the facility to determine which offenders were released from young offender institutions. However, all 18 and 19 year old offenders are held under young offender institution conditions, even if they are held in an adult prison. Table 2 shows the reoffending rates for all offenders aged 18 and 19 who were released from custody for the last five years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Table 2 :  Number of offenders released from custody aged 18-19, and proportion that committed a reoffence within one year, split by age and date of offence, adults, 2003-2007 
			 Percentage of offenders that committed a reoffence 
			  Cohort  Age  Number of offenders  Within 1 month of release  Between 1 and 6 months of release  Between 6 and 12 months of release  Total 
			 2003 Q1 18 572 15.6 33.9 12.9 62.4 
			  19 728 14.3 35.7 12.4 62.4 
			
			 2004 Q1 18 559 15.4 36.5 11.4 63.3 
			  19 783 15.3 32.1 10.7 58.1 
			
			 2005 Q1 18 551 16.5 37.7 14.2 68.4 
			  19 689 12.3 32.5 12.2 57.0 
			
			 2006 Q1 18 477 14.9 31.0 13.0 58.9 
			  19 644 14.3 31.4 11.5 57.1 
			
			 2007 Q1 18 461 20.0 35.6 13.7 69.2 
			  19 593 13.2 31.5 11.1 55.8 
		
	
	Please note that the definition of a reoffence differs between adults and juveniles. For adults, any offence within a year of release from custody, that is proven by court conviction within 18 months of release, is counted as a reoffence. For juveniles, an offence proven by court conviction or a caution within the same time period is counted as a reoffence. For this reasons the adult and juvenile reoffending rates are not directly comparable.
	Further information on adult reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	Further information on juvenile reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what loan loss rate his Department assumes in respect of the £280 billion portfolio of debts it is underwriting.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: RBS will bear 100 per cent. of the first £60 billion of losses on the £282 billion of assets that it has included in the Asset Protection Scheme (APS). As set out in the details of the Asset Protection Scheme, published on 7 December 2009, this is in line with HM Treasury's current view of the most likely level of losses on the APS assets.

Child Benefit: EU Nationals

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) average,  (b) upper quartile and  (c) lower quartile length of time was taken to obtain confirmation that family benefits were not in payment in another EEA member state for EEA national child benefit claimants in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs systems do not capture the time taken to obtain confirmation from other EEA member states.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury does not hold a central record of conferences and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many  (a) year end and  (b) in-year bonuses were paid to officials in his Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid in each year;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year-end and  (b) in-year bonuses in 2009-10.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table sets out the information requested on performance awards paid by HM Treasury in 2008-09. For information on prior years I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by the then Exchequer Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 164W.
	
		
			   HM Treasury performance awards 2008-09 
			  Expenditure incurred  
			 Performance award (£000) 1,177 
			 Special performance award (£000) 208 
			   
			  Number of staff receiving a bonus  
			 Performance award 482 
			 Special performance award (1)492 
			   
			  Percentage of staff receiving a bonus( 2)  
			 Performance award 39 
			 Special performance award 40 
			   
			 Largest single award (£000) 20 
			 (1) In addition, one award was made to a member of staff on secondment to a private sector organisation that subsequently reimbursed the Department. (2) Based on FTE headcount at 31 March 2009.

EU Emission Trading Scheme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the projections in Table 2.9 of the Budget 2009, how much revenue he expects to come from the receipts from future phases of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in each year to 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The pre-Budget report includes the most recent estimates for EU ETS receipts, based on the likely number of allowances and the secondary market price of carbon, in the 'other taxes and Royalties' line in Table 2.9 of the economy and public finances-supplementary material.
	The pre-Budget report (p120) also noted that, to date, UK carbon auctions had raised over £350 million and that future revenue was set to rise to around £2 billion in 2013-14.

Fiscal Policy

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what analysis his Department has undertaken of fiscal consolidation measures undertaken in other advanced economies over the last 30 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury officials undertake analysis relative to their respective policy spheres as a matter of course. This includes reviewing available literature and evaluation of previous policy actions where appropriate.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Indian Ocean Territory: Environment Protection

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will declare a no-take marine reserve in respect of the vulnerable reef systems of the Chagos Archipelago.

Chris Bryant: A decision will be taken following the public consultation which is at present under way and which will run until 12 February 2010.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 9 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1241W, on "British Overseas Territories: Prisoners", what plans there are to increase prison capacity in each of the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean in which prisoner population exceeds capacity.

Chris Bryant: The information is as follows.
	Anguilla: The prison service has submitted a bid to the Government of Anguilla for financial support to enable the prison to purchase modular "ready to use" prison cells. In addition, concurrent plans are in hand to assess the feasibility of converting the prison's administration block into cellular accommodation. It is also expected that the Parole and Probation Bills will be passed in 2010, thereby diverting from prison a number of offenders and reducing overall prisoner numbers.
	British Virgin Islands: A feasibility study is underway to assess the practicality of converting an existing prison workshop and storage area into cellular accommodation for lower risk prisoners. In addition, the establishment of the Parole Board in early 2010 will see a number of early releases on parole, thereby reducing prisoner numbers.
	Cayman Islands: There is a process of building work within the site of HMP Northward which will add capacity during 2010. In addition, the Cayman Islands Government are assessing the potential of an "early release" scheme for suitable offenders and have set up a working group to look at the feasibility of a National Strategic Rehabilitation Board.
	Turks and Caicos Islands: A new wing of the prison is now complete and the necessary security fencing is due to be finished by the end of January 2010. Although this wing is for the few female prisoners, the opening of this wing will free-up capacity elsewhere in the prison. In addition, the imminent completion of a new prison kitchen will enable the existing kitchen area to be converted into accommodation for low risk prisoners early in 2010.

Broadband

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 October 2009, what proportion of households in  (a) the Falkland Islands,  (b) St. Helena and  (c) Tristan da Cunha have access to broadband internet.

Chris Bryant: Responsibility for telecommunications in the Falkland Islands, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha rests with the Governments of the Falkland Islands, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha, who hold the required information.

Cayman Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 66-67W, on "British Overseas Territories: Police", how many of the officers arrested for criminal activity in the Cayman Islands were convicted.

Chris Bryant: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has clarified that, of the 13 officers arrested in the last five years, six were arrested for criminal offences and the others were arrested for non-criminal offences. Of the six arrested for criminal offences, three have been convicted, two await trial and one has been acquitted.

Croatia: EC Enlargement

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on accession negotiations between the EU and Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: On 21 December 2009 the EU and Croatia provisionally closed a further two chapters of the accession negotiations, bringing the total provisionally closed to 17 out of 35. A further 11 chapters are open and under negotiation.
	The European Commission published its annual report on enlargement on 14 October 2009 which assessed that Croatia's preparations had advanced substantially across the board in 2009, that technical negotiations are now nearing their final phase, and that if Croatia meets all outstanding benchmarks in time it could be possible to conclude negotiations in 2010. But Croatia has much to do if it is to meet this time scale. Reform efforts need to be stepped up in the areas of judiciary and fundamental rights, in particular as regards the independence and efficiency of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, minority rights, including refugee returns, and war crimes trials. Public administration reform also requires particular attention. Croatia also needs to take all necessary steps to settle the issue of access for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to important documents.
	The General Affairs Council on 7 and 8 December 2009 took stock of progress, commended Croatia for good overall progress, underlined the importance of meeting all benchmarks, called for the completion of a credible investigation into military documents requested by the Prosecutor of ICTY and welcomed the establishment of a working group for drafting an Accession treaty.

Departmental Air Travel

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the accumulation and use of air miles by his Department's personnel flying at public expense.

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), the then Secretary of State, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 995W.

Departmental Manpower

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials posted to UK embassies overseas who are not officials of his Department operate under the authority of the British Ambassador in that country; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Staff of other Government Departments work under the authority of the Head of Post of the Mission in which they serve. They work to the objectives of their own Departments but the Head of Post has the right to issue instructions on any matter affecting the overall work and safety of the Mission and the Government's interest in the country concerned, and to take decisions on issues such as waiver of immunity or removal of a member of staff from post.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much press officers in his Department claimed in reimbursable expenses in each of the last three financial years.

Chris Bryant: For the amounts claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London in financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn) on 15 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2179W.
	The amount of reimbursable expenses that press officers at the FCO claimed from the press office budget in London in the financial year 2008/09 totalled £2,074.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Chris Bryant: In recent months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has significantly improved its performance in answering named day PQs on time. The numbers of such PQs received and answered on time from January 2009 to Prorogation in November 2009 were as follows. Reliable statistics are not available for December 2008.
	
		
			   Questions 
			   R eceived  A nswered 
			 January 66 10 
			 February 62 17 
			 March 66 21 
			 April 29 5 
			 May 40 17 
			 June 50 28 
			 July 45 32 
			 September 35 35 
			 October 92 67 
			 November 22 19 
		
	
	Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the 'Guide to Parliamentary Work', at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide.aspx
	In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.

Hotels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hotel room nights were booked by officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each year since 2007; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies spent on fees of third party agents in relation to booking hotel accommodation in each such year.

Chris Bryant: Booking and paying for hotel accommodation is devolved to individual Departments and posts to allow them to travel as needed to deliver the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Strategic Objectives. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Records for accommodation and travel are grouped together and to provide a breakdown spanning the period from 2007 to present could be done only at disproportionate cost.

International Criminal Law

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in securing an internationally agreed definition of the crime of aggression; what the Government's proposed definition is; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: A Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression concluded its work on 13 February 2009. The report is available at:
	http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/asp_docs/ICC-ASP-7-20-Add.1-SWGCA%20English.pdf
	It includes proposals on the definition of the crime of aggression, with which the UK is generally content, as well as on the conditions for the exercise of jurisdiction over the crime. The proposals on the latter issue include a number of options. The proposals will now be considered at the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court to be held in Kampala in 2010. The Government continue to believe that any proposals must be consistent with the Charter of the UN and in particular with the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security.
	We have no plans at present to make a further statement.

Kenya: Foreign Relations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives he has set for UK foreign policy in respect of Kenya.

Ivan Lewis: UK foreign policy aims to encourage and support implementation of the National Accord agreed by the Kenyan Government following the 2007-08 post-election violence, to address issues that threaten the country's stability and prosperity. These include promoting a better constitution that reduces the "winner takes all" incentives for violence, making electoral cheating harder, and deterring political violence through reducing impunity. We will continue to support Kenyan leadership in tackling the root causes of violence, including economic inequality, tribal tension, lack of security sector reform and accountability. We will also work to combat corruption in Kenya, which is endemic with little political will to change. This is the same culture that embeds impunity, as seen in Kenya's failure to prosecute those who perpetrated the post-election violence.
	The Government work closely with the EU and other partners such as Kofi Annan to co-ordinate support and engagement against these objectives . My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the EU General Affairs Council Meeting in Brussels last July where Council Conclusions on Kenya were agreed. The conclusions highlighted the need for faster implementation of key reforms vital to the interests of the Kenyan people. My noble Friend, Baroness Kinnock, the Minister for Africa, plans to visit Kenya next week, and will reinforce these messages.

National Action Plan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indicators with which to measure process efficiency and programme effectiveness his Department plans to include in the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Ivan Lewis: We are examining the use of indicators as part of the revision of the UK National Action Plan, which is now under way. We have started a stakeholder consultation process that includes the issue of how the UK can best measure progress against a revised plan.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the new agreement between the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement on the rules for the forthcoming referendum in the south of Sudan; what reports he has received on the eligibility to register and vote of  (a) southerners living in the north of Sudan and  (b) northerners living in the south of Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Minister of State, Department for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock issued a statement on 15 December 2009 welcoming the progress made towards the forthcoming referendum in South Sudan following the agreement on 13 December 2009 at the level of the Presidency on the draft Bill.
	The draft Bill reflected agreement between the parties on the eligibility to register and vote of southerners living in the north of Sudan and northerners living in the south of Sudan. We welcome the news that, despite last minute difficulties, on 29 December 2009 this Bill was agreed by consensus in the National Assembly in Sudan.
	We also welcome the news that the legislation regarding the referendum for Abyei and the popular consultations for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States was passed by the National Assembly on 30 December 2009.

Sudan: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the human rights situation in South Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: As a result of tribal fighting, more people have died this year in South Sudan than in Darfur. This, and attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) displaced more than 300,000 people-more than double the number from 2008. The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) face several challenges which include the worsening humanitarian situation as well as security issues, corruption and the mismanagement of food stocks.
	Our ambassador met with the Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission in June to assess human rights issues, including the death penalty, women's rights, access to justice and the standard of detention facilities. Our ambassador also meets regularly with the GoSS President and Ministers to discuss citizen insecurity and LRA issues. The UK also works with the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and other international partners to secure peace so that human rights can be protected in Southern Sudan.
	My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock will give a further assessment of developments in Sudan during a debate in the Lords today, 7 January 2010.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives on Sudan the Government has put forward under the recently re-established troika mechanism; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are in regular contact with key partners on all of the issues that face Sudan. This includes contact with both the US and Norway, who together with the UK constituted the Troika during the negotiations for the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Our ongoing and close contact with the US and Norway forms a part of the UK's continued engagement with key partners on the situation in Sudan.
	The parties to the CPA will need to decide between themselves on the initiatives and mechanisms that will support their efforts to arrive at a peaceful conclusion to the Interim Period. International partners should be prepared to play a strongly supportive role.
	My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock will give a further assessment of developments in Sudan during a debate in the Lords today, 7 January 2010.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the implementation of the border ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration for the area of Abyei in Sudan in July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The implementation of the Abyei ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration made in July 2009 is a key part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). We are concerned that, despite public commitment by both the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to implement the ruling, progress remains significantly behind schedule. We understand that only a small number of border markers along the 230 kilometre border have been placed. Continuing uncertainty over the border increases potential tensions and hinders implementation of other CPA milestones.
	We continue to press both parties to ensure that border demarcation, as well as other commitments on Abyei, are urgently completed. A representative of our embassy in Khartoum visited Abyei in early December 2009 as part of a joint delegation with the US embassy and the Assessment and Evaluation Commission. The delegation raised our concerns directly with Government and other interlocutors.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Sudan consequent on the North-South agreement on progress towards the forthcoming referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for the Department of International Development (Mr. Thomas) and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock released a statement on 15 December 2009 welcoming the progress made towards the forthcoming referendum following the agreement on 13 December 2009 at the level of the presidency on the draft Bill.
	We welcome the news that, despite last minute difficulties, on 29 December 2009 this Bill was agreed by consensus in the National Assembly in Sudan.
	We also welcome the news that the legislation regarding the referendum for Abyei and the popular consultations for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States was passed by the National Assembly on 30 December 2009.
	We continue to urge the parties to work together at this critical point in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to make progress on other outstanding areas and to help deliver a peaceful, equitable future for the whole of Sudan.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) others are available on a (i) full-time and (ii) part-time basis to support Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy; what criteria were used to select them; by whom they were appointed; what their salary band is in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: There are four members of the Office of the Quartet Representative who are directly linked to the Government.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides the following full time secondees to the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR): one higher executive officer equivalent (salary range £23,157 to £31, 495); and one senior civil servant (salary range £57,300 to £116,000). Standard FCO procedure was followed for advertising, recruiting and appointing to these posts. Mr. Blair held final interviews.
	The Department for International Development (DfID) also funds a secondee to provide expert governance analysis (Grade 6 equivalent, salary range £55,814 to £66,873).
	A locally engaged secondee to the OQR in Jerusalem was also funded through the Conflict Prevention Pool from October 2007 to August 2008 at a cost of £30,874. After that, this position has been funded by the UN Development Programme Trust Fund.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will itemise how the £400,000 funding allocated by his Department to the United Nations Development Trust Fund in support of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy is broken down by  (a) salaries,  (b) expenses and  (c) other costs in the current financial year.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development made a contribution to the Office of the Quartet Representative of £400,000 in financial year 2008-09. This was disbursed between security, accommodation, project management, support staff and general support (IT, office equipment, insurance, etc).

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are presently seconded to support Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy; what procedure is in place for those officials to report formally to their home Department; and whether they remain subject to the Civil Service Code.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides two secondees to the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR). Officials from the OQR and FCO meet regularly. The secondees remain subject to the Civil Service Code.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers in his Department last met Tony Blair in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary meets with Mr. Blair in his capacity as the Quartet Representative and regularly speaks to him on the telephone. Their last meeting was on 14 October 2009. Other Foreign Office Ministers have not met Mr. Blair recently in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what checks are in place to ensure that monies made available to the United Nations Development Trust Fund to support the work of the Middle East peace envoy are not used for unauthorised or unconnected purposes.

Ivan Lewis: The work of the Office of the Quartet Representative is set within the context of a UN Development Programme (UNDP) programme and is managed by the UNDP office based in Jerusalem according to UN procedures.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Nations Development Trust Fund's budget to fund the office of the Quartet Representative was used to meet the office costs of Tony Blair in the current financial year.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the UN Development Programme and the Office of the Quartet Representative to answer.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives Tony Blair has set in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy; and what the role of his Department was in setting those objectives.

Ivan Lewis: The Quartet Representative's following aims were set out in a statement from the Quartet:
	Mobilise international assistance to the Palestinians, working closely with donors and existing co-ordination bodies;
	Help to identify, and secure appropriate international support in addressing, the institutional governance needs of the Palestinian state, focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law;
	Develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development, including private sector partnerships, building on previously agreed frameworks, especially concerning access and movement; and
	Liaise with other countries as appropriate in support of the agreed Quartet objectives.
	While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had no formal role in setting these aims, it has continued to be closely involved in the middle east peace process and supports these aims.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has authorised the registration of any company in connection with the work of Tony Blair has set in his role as Middle East peace envoy.

Ivan Lewis: Government funding to the Office of the Quartet Representative is handled by UN Development Programme not by a company.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not authorised the registration of a company in connection with the work of the Quartet Representative, which is a matter for the Office of the Quartet Representative not the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy.

Ivan Lewis: The UK supports the aims of the Quartet, which are aligned with UK interests. Mr. Blair has made a significant contribution to these aims through his work as Quartet Representative. I refer the hon. Member to my answer to parliamentary question 309256.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the achievements of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy.

Ivan Lewis: We fully support the efforts of the Quartet Representative. He has brought important focus on efforts to create economic development.
	We have seen some real progress on the ground. There has been an estimated 5 per cent. real growth in gross domestic product in 2008. This increase is due to a combination of factors especially a strong lead from the Palestinian Authority and strong donor support, but we judge that the Quartet Representative has made a valuable contribution.
	The Quartet Representative has also played a strong role on a number of specific projects including the recent launch of Wataniya, the second telephony operator in the Palestinian Territories.

Tony Blair

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions Tony Blair has provided a written briefing to his Department pursuant to his role as Middle East peace envoy since 1 January 2009.

Ivan Lewis: The Office of the Quartet Representative regularly reports to Quartet members and donors. The Quartet Representative is also in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, as are his officials with our officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Western Sahara: Fisheries

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Polisario Front was consulted on the 2006 EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement prior to the making of that agreement.

Ivan Lewis: The 2006 EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement was negotiated by the European Commission as a bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco-the de facto administering power in Western Sahara-and there was, therefore, no requirement to consult the Polisario Front.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on the negotiation of the proposed international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

David Lammy: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is a draft multilateral agreement which aims to provide a high-level international framework that strengthens global enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs). To combat the counterfeiting and piracy that threatens IPR owners, lawful businesses and the development of the world economy, ACTA concentrates on three areas; (i) better co-ordinated international co-operation, (ii) establishing best practice in enforcement methods and (iii) providing a more coherent legal framework.
	The UK's policy on the negotiation of ACTA is to create an international standard to fight the growing problem of large-scale counterfeiting and piracy more efficiently, without introducing new UK intellectual property legislation.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on the proposed international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have regularly met officials of the Intellectual Property Office to keep abreast of the progress of the ACTA negotiations and to ensure that the UK position remains within the scope of existing UK legislation. I have also instructed officials to press for greater transparency in the ACTA negotiations.

Core Storage

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what independent valuation has been made of his Department's core store site at Gilmerton; and  (a) by whom and  (b) when this valuation was made.

David Lammy: An independent valuation was carried out for the Department by the Valuation Office Agency in March 2009.

Core Storage

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of  (a) constructing and  (b) operating the proposed new core storage facility in Nottinghamshire.

David Lammy: These are issues for the Natural Environment Research Council. The cores will be located in an extension to the existing National Geological Data Centre in Nottinghamshire. I am advised that construction of the extension and relocation of the samples will be more than offset by the capital gain on the Gilmerton store, and that operating costs will be reduced by about £200,000 year.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title of each such conference was.

Patrick McFadden: This Department does not hold this information centrally and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to you.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 6 January 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.
	In the last three years, The Insolvency Service has organised one conference which it subsequently had to cancel. The conference which was entitled 'Encouraging Company Rescue' was due to be held in September 2009, and the costs incurred by cancelling this event were approximately £200.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 6 January 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, UIN 308819, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has not spent any money in the last three years on conferences which were subsequently cancelled.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 5 January 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The National Measurement Office has not spent anything on conferences they organized which were subsequently cancelled in the last three years.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 22 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	There is a Nil Response from The Intellectual Property Office.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there has been any nugatory cost to  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is unable to provide nugatory costs relating to cancelled tenders because such costs are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed:
	The Minister of State, for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2009/289) whether there has been any nugatory cost to (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years.
	The Insolvency Service has not cancelled any tenders prior to award of contract in the last five years.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 3 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 30 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	There have been no nugatory costs to the Agency in the last five years relating to tendered procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 4 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 30 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	There has been no nugatory direct cost to the Intellectual Property Office arising from procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years. However, there was in 2006/07 and 2007/08 nugatory staff effort estimated at approximately £100 each year.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 30 November 2009, UIN 303711, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In the last five years Companies House has cancelled one procurement tender exercise prior to award of contract. There were no costs paid to the invited bidders as a result of the cancellation. Internal staff costs would have been incurred in the preparation of the tender process, but it is not possible to quantify them as they were not part of a formal project and therefore not recorded. However, we would not term these particular costs as being nugatory as a lot of the output generated has had continued value as reference material for future procurements.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department and its predecessors have spent on  (a) Ministerial photoshoots and  (b) production of videos in which Ministers appear in the last three years for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: It is not possible to provide comprehensive figures for spend on ministerial photoshoots and video productions without incurring disproportionate cost. Many videos are produced using internal resources, for use on the Department's digital channels, such as YouTube. Others are commissioned externally as part of marketing campaigns and often not costed separately. Internal resources are also used for taking photographs at internal events.
	Expenditure in the last three financial years using external photographers or video production companies which can readily be identified as ministerial photoshoots or videos including Ministers is as follows for the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
	
		
			£ 
			  2008/09   
			 BERR Photography for ministerial Who's Who board and events 1,032 
			  Secretary of State event for all staff at BERR, October 2008 8,693.75 
			 DIUS Photography of Ministers 496 
			  Filming of Ministers 8,518.25 
			
			  2007/08   
			 BERR Photography of Ministers 450 
			  Videos: none identified - 
			 DIUS Photography of Ministers: none identified - 
			  Filming of Ministers 1,735 
			
			  2006/07   
			 BERR Photography of Ministers 195.76 
			  Filming of Ministers 7,843

Economic Situation

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for which policies implemented as part of the Government's response to the recession his Department is responsible; when each such policy was determined; what timetable has been set for the implementation of each such policy; and what funding under each budget heading has been allocated to each such policy.

Patrick McFadden: The BIS policies that were designed specifically to respond to the economic downturn are those launched as "Real Help" schemes by the predecessor Departments (BERR and DIUS), as well as targeted support for graduates and key industrial sectors. The information you have requested is summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  Scheme  Date agreed  Timetable for implementation and key milestones  BIS funding 
			 Enterprise Finance Guarantee Announced in November 2008. 12-month continuation announced in December 2009. 14 January: Scheme launched to enable up to £1.3 billion of additional bank lending to SMEs by 31 March 2010. Up to £500 million of additional lending to be enabled between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011. Scheme is subject to a 13 per cent. cap on net defaults-Government liability limited to £125 million for initial lending and £50 million for additional lending. 
			 Capital for Enterprise Fund Announced in January 2009. January 2009: Scheme announced. Fund registered interest while fund managers were being appointed. April 2009: fund managers appointed. End of March 2010: Fund will be closed to new investments. Fund is on course to invest its allocation in this period. Fund is £75 million, comprising £50 million of Government funds and £25 million committed from banks. £55 million is committed to be invested in period up to the end of March 2010, with £20 million reserved for follow on funding. 
			 Working Capital Scheme Announced in January 2009. January 2009: Scheme launched. March 2009: EU State Aids approval received. April 2009: First tranche of guarantees agreed with RBS and Lloyds Banking Group. July 2009: Second tranche signed with Lloyds Banking Group. Short-term existing bank lending is guaranteed up to the end of March 2011. The scheme is designed to be cost neutral. An appropriate provision has been made to cover the possibility of unexpected losses. 
			 Trade Credit Insurance Top-up Scheme Announced in April 2009. May 2009: Scheme launched to cover reductions in trade credit insurance cover from 1 October 2008. Two changes made to the scheme: (1) June 2009: Eligibility for the scheme was backdated from 1 April 2009 to 1 October 2008. (2) August 2009: The price was reduced and cover limits were increased. 31 December 2009: Scheme closed to new applicants and all policies will expire by 30 June 2010 at the latest. Demand-led scheme designed to be cost neutral. Contingent liabilities under the scheme capped at a maximum of £5 billion. 
			 Prompt Payment Ongoing interest. However, in response to evidence of extending payment times in autumn 2008, BERR announced a range of enhanced measures focused on Government-to-business and business-to-business payment. October 2008: commitment for all central Departments to pay invoices within 10 days-19 out of every 20 invoices are now paid in 10 days. November 2008: BERR (with leading UK business organisations) launches a series of managing cash flow guides. December 2008: BERR supports launch of a new Prompt Payment Code by the Institute of Credit Management. There are now 740 signatories. Development of 10 managing cash flow guides-total cost in the region of £30,000. 
			 Automotive Assistance Programme The Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) received European Commission State Aids approval on 27 February 2009 and was launched in March 2009. AAP operates under the European Commission Temporary Framework for State Aids, which ends on 31 December 2010. The final maturity dates of loan guarantees and loans can extend beyond 2010. Will support investment in automotive sector of up to £2.3 billion through loan guarantees and, exceptionally, loans. 
			 Vehicle Scrappage Scheme Announced in April 2009. May 2009: Scheme launched. September 2010: Additional funding to the scheme announced. Up to £400 million. 
			 Response to Redundancy Announced in November 2008. April 2009 to December 2010. £100 million. 
			 Six month offer Announced in January 2009. April 2009 to March 2011 £83 million. 
			 Young Person's Guarantee (Routes into work and work- focused training strands) Announced in April 2009. November 2009 to March 2011. £122.4 million 
			 Train to Gain SME flexibilities Announced in October 2008. On offer from January 2009. Flexibilities for funding for repeats ongoing; funding for short units due to end July 2010. From Train to Gain budget, up to £350 million of growth over two years. 
			 Professional and Career Development Loans (PCDLs) Announced in the New Opportunities White Paper in January 2009. 1 July 2009: An enhanced version of the Career Development Loans programme went live. We remain committed to delivering 45,000 loans per year as soon as the capacity exists within banks to meet that target. £12 million additional money allocated for 2009-10, with £24 million for 2010-11. This is on top of the recurrent baselines in place (to support existing Career Development Loans) of £25 million per year. 
			 Apprenticeships (England). 35,000 additional places in 2009-10 Announced January 2009. 2009-10 financial year: 35,000 additional Apprenticeship starts in England funded by DCSF and BIS. £140 million (BIS and DCSF). 
			 Support for Graduates Office for Graduate Opportunities (OGO) established in April 2009 in response to downturn. OGO responsible for several initiatives, as summarised in next column. Internships: initial target of 5,000 internships now increased to 20,000. To be delivered by March 2010. Graduate Talent Pool website: went live in July 2009. Post-graduate study: ongoing policy to increase places-around 24,000 additional places expected-and support through PCDLs (see separate entry in table). Volunteering: 4,000 full-time and over 50,000 part-time or short-term. Help with business start-up or entrepreneurship training: including via HEFCE's Economic Challenges Investment Fund (ECIF) and Flying Start. Ongoing policy. Extra Mini-Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: 10-40 week placements in SMEs for graduates/postgraduates to work on specific projects vital to the business. Teach First: places for 2009/10 and 2010/11. BIS funds the Graduate Talent Pool website and provided funding of £1.184 million in 2009-10 to cover infrastructure and publicity costs. In addition, BIS is working with DWP and HEFCE to deliver 10,000 subsidised internships, at a cost of around £16 million.

Employment: Bullying

Don Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of bullying in the workplace.

Patrick McFadden: Existing legislation protects workers from the most serious kinds of bullying, for instance in cases of discrimination or harassment. The Government publish information and guidance on how this legislation can be used, and ACAS provides a nationwide telephone advice line offering assistance to employers and employees on bullying and other employment issues. These measures support the Government's policy aim that workers should be able to work without fear of being bullied or harassed by employers, fellow employees or anyone else.
	Approximately £1 million was committed through DTIs Partnership at Work Fund to support a project on Dignity at Work/Bullying. The project, which completed in May 2008, was led by the Amicus section of Unite and included BAE Systems, Legal and General and British Airways as partners. The project promoted best practice and workplace initiatives to tackle bullying.
	In November BIS was pleased to support the launch of new Guidance on Preventing Harassment and Violence in the Workplace prepared jointly by the CBI, (Confederation of British Industry), the PPE (Partnership of Public Employers) and TUC (Trades Union Congress in association with HSE (Health and Safety Executive), and ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).
	The joint guidance, issued following a Europe-wide agreement between employers' organisations and unions, aims to give practical help and support to firms and their employees.
	This is available at:
	http://www.workplaceharassment.org.uk/

European Investments Bank's 2020 Fund

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which companies and organisations will be eligible to apply for support for green infrastructure projects from the European Investments Bank's 2020 Fund; and over what period this Fund is intended to remain open to applications.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2020 European Fund for Energy, Climate Change and Infrastructure will be advised by an independent advisory team. The advisory team will be responsible for appraising potential investments. The Fund will focus on greenfield investments within target sectors. Investments by the Fund will be equity participations in companies which directly or indirectly own or operate infrastructure in the following target sectors:
	1. Transport-TEN-T (trans-European transport networks as defined in Decision No. 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament).
	2. Energy-TEN-T (trans-European energy networks as defined in Decision No. 1364/2006/EC of the European Parliament) including electricity and gas, transportation, interconnection, storage, infrastructure (including oil and gas storage, regas terminals, pipelines and related facilities and high voltage transmission) and electricity/gas distribution, electricity/gas/oil production, oil storage, as well as carbon capture and storage.
	3. Mature renewables energies-including sustainable energy production, clean transport infrastructure, energy distribution and systems for hybrid transport (e.g. wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, biogas, hydro, waste to energy projects.
	The advisory team will commence in the first quarter of 2010. The investment period is expected to be a four- year period from 4 March 2010.

Gilmerton Core Store

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what response the Secretary of State has given to representations from stakeholders objecting to the closure of the core stores in Gilmerton and Loanhead.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	 My noble Friend the Secretary of State has written to my hon. Friend and my noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation will do so shortly in response to the letter from Redrock Associates International Ltd.

Gilmerton Core Store

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what response the Secretary of State has made to the representations received from representatives of the oil, gas and carbon storage sectors on the proposed closure of the core store facilities at Gilmerton and Loanhead in Edinburgh.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	 The Department has discussed the issues with the Natural Environment Research Council and the British Geological Survey. But this is a management matter for the Natural Environment Research Council.

Gilmerton Core Store

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether a risk assessment has been commissioned on the effects on the national rock archive of proposed transport from Edinburgh to a proposed site in Nottinghamshire.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	 No specific risk assessment was considered necessary as the British Geological Survey (BGS) currently moves core from the oil and gas suppliers to Gilmerton and Keyworth and between its sites, and already understands and manages this risk. It also moves core as part of the International Ocean Drilling Programme across the globe. However, the British Geological Survey will undertake a combined risk assessment and methods statement nearer the time of moving. A working group of the Collections Advisory Group, including co-opted members of the Geological Society of London Petroleum Group, will consider and advise on the detail.

Gilmerton Core Store

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from stakeholders on the conduct of the consultation process to close core store facilities at Gilmerton and Loanhead in Edinburgh.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	 The Department has received one letter from Redrock Associates International Ltd. and other stakeholders about the consultation process to relocate core store facilities at Gilmerton and Loanhead.

Gilmerton Core Store

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the appropriateness of the proposed new site for the cores presently stored at Gilmerton and Loanhead.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	 I have had no discussions with stakeholders. These are matters for the Natural Environment Research Council.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time students are in their  (a) first year,  (b) second year and  (c) final year of an undergraduate degree course.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency is provided in the table.
	Figures are provided for UK-domiciled full-time first degree enrolments by year of course.
	
		
			  UK-domiciled full-time first degree enrolments by year of course: UK Higher Education Institutions, academic year 2007/08 
			  Year of course  First degree enrolments 
			 First year 343,805 
			 Second year 278,880 
			 Third year 273,165 
			 Fourth year or over 78,875 
			 Total 974,720 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA Standard Registration Population. 2. Figures in the answer have been rounded to the nearest five and may not sum to total.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Student Numbers

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of residents in each local authority area who  (a) have applied to start a university course in January 2010 and  (b) have deferred entry from September 2009 to September 2010.

David Lammy: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Information on applicants and accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in UK institutions is collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Accepted applicants who begin courses in January 2010 are included in the 2009/10 entry figures published by UCAS. UCAS can identify which students start courses in January, though they do not regularly publish information on the start date of courses. End of year data for the 2009/10 academic year will not be available until January 2010.
	Information on deferrals is provided to BIS from UCAS, but is not broken down by local authority area.

Middlesex University: Research

Joan Ryan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much research funding has been allocated to Middlesex university in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what his Department's latest assessment of the quality of research undertaken at Middlesex university is; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Middlesex university has received the following quality-related funding for research allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England:
	
		
			  Time series of HEFCE research funding for Middlesex  u niversity for academic years 1997-98 to 2009-10, prepared by HEFCE Analytical Services Group on 18 December 2009, figures are in cash terms, and include late grant adjustments 
			   Middlesex university (£ million) 
			 1997-98 1.93 
			 1998-99 2.16 
			 1999-2000 2.29 
			 2000-01 2.31 
			 2001-02 2.35 
			 2002-03 1.76 
			 2003-04 1.66 
			 2004-05 1.63 
			 2005-06 1.92 
			 2006-07 1.86 
			 2007-08 1.96 
			 2008-09 1.95 
			 2009-10 3.4 
		
	
	Higher Education Statistics Agency data show that Middlesex university received the following income from research councils (2008-09 data are not yet available):
	
		
			   Research council grants (£000) 
			 1997-98 512 
			 1998-99 417 
			 1999-2000 557 
			 2000-01 581 
			 2001-02 335 
			 2002-03 17 
			 2003-04 98 
			 2004-05 263 
			 2005-06 339 
			 2006-07 614 
			 2007-08 1,247 
		
	
	Middlesex university achieved the following results in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which was published on 18 December 2008. The Department itself does not directly assess the quality of research undertaken at universities.
	
		
			Overall quality profile (percentage of research activity at each quality level) 
			  Unit of assessment  FTE category A staff submitted  4*  3*  2*  1*  Unclassified 
			 11 Nursing and Midwifery 7.90 5 30 40 20 5 
			 12 Allied Health Professions and Studies 10.10 5 25 35 30 5 
			 23 Computer Science and Informatics 22.30 10 25 45 20 0 
			 32 Geography and Environmental Studies 12.15 5 35 40 20 0 
			 36 Business and Management Studies 38.79 5 25 50 20 0 
			 38 Law 7.30 0 15 35 50 0 
			 40 Social Work and Social Policy and Administration 15.20 5 45 40 10 0 
			 44 Psychology 14.50 0 10 30 60 0 
			 57 English Language and Literature 8.50 5 30 50 15 0 
			 60 Philosophy 7.00 20 45 30 5 0 
			 63 Art and Design 19.00 5 20 55 15 5 
			 64 History of Art, Architecture and Design 12.00 15 40 35 10 0 
			 65 Drama, Dance and Performing Arts 12.10 20 35 25 20 0 
			 66 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies 4.00 0 45 25 30 0 
		
	
	
		
			  RAE2008 quality levels 
			  Scale  Definition 
			 4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 
			 3* Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence. 
			 2* Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 
			 1* Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 
			 Unclassified Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work, or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment.

Minimum Wage: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people in Nottingham, North constituency who have been paid the uprated minimum wage in the last 10 years.

Patrick McFadden: Data for earnings are not available at the constituency level because of small sample sizes at constituency level in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
	At the Government Office Region level, the lowest available, DTI previously estimated that the number of jobs that stood to benefit from the April 1999 introduction of the national minimum wage (NMW) in the east midlands region was 130,000. In 2009 the BIS estimate for the number of jobs affected by the uprating of the NMW in the east midlands region was 83,000.

Postal Services: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will make an assessment of whether post office services in Castle Point constituency comply with the access criteria set out in the Network Change Programme.

Patrick McFadden: I have asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Energy: Government Assistance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has contributed to the development of the Government's proposed feed-in tariffs scheme.

Patrick McFadden: The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has contributed to the development of the Government's proposed feed-in tariffs scheme as part of the normal policy-making process. Officials of the Department have had bilateral meetings with officials of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, are members the Renewable Financial Incentives Programme Board and have agreed the consultation proposals.

Research: Finance

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the  (a) Higher Education Funding Council for England and  (b) Research Councils UK on the effect on fundamental scientific research of the proposed impact plans; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 6 January 2010
	My colleagues, officials and I discuss a range of issues with HEFCE and the Research Councils regularly.
	Both HEFCE and the Research Councils recognise the breadth of ways in which impact is delivered and the long time horizons often required. Both understand impact broadly to include, for example, benefits to the economy, society, public policy, and quality of life.
	The UK has a world-class research base of which we can be rightly proud: second only to the US across a broad range of disciplines and the most productive research base in the G8. Government funding for the research base has doubled in real terms since 1997 and it is right that we recognise the impact of excellent research and remove barriers to harvesting the benefits it delivers to the nation.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils undertake complementary work to pursue that objective. HEFCE recently consulted on proposals for the Research Excellence Framework (REF), and Research Councils have recently introduced impact statements to grant application forms.
	The REF will recognise and reward university departments with a track record of delivering impacts from excellent research in the past. Research Council impact statements encourage researchers to consider the potential impact of their work when applying for grants.
	Greater emphasis on impact poses no threat to fundamental research. The primary criterion of both peer review and retrospective research assessment remains research excellence.

Students

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in higher education have received payments in respect of  (a) tuition fee loans,  (b) maintenance loans,  (c) grants for living costs,  (d) bursaries and scholarships and  (e) extra help for students with children or adult dependants in (i) Vale of York constituency, (ii) North Yorkshire and (iii) England in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value was of each such type of payment in each area in each such year.

David Lammy: The information requested is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Student support North Yorkshire( 1)  academic year 2006/07 to 2008/09 
			   Students  Value (£) 
			  2006/07   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 6,950 11,905,000 
			 Maintenance Loan 9,330 35,369,000 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 40 92,000 
			 Childcare 50 105,000 
			 Maintenance and other grants(2) 12,220 8,360,000 
			
			  2007/08   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 8,020 17,955,000 
			 Maintenance Loan 9,470 36,662,000 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 50 100,000 
			 Childcare 50 118,000 
			 Maintenance and other grants(2) 13,190 9,799,000 
			
			  2008/09   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 8,960 23,958,000 
			 Maintenance Loan 9,780 39,196,000 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 60 134,000 
			 Childcare 70 208,000 
			 Maintenance and other grants 14,500 11,779,000 
			 (1) Student numbers rounded to nearest 10, value of support rounded to nearest £1,000. (2) Includes Maintenance Grant, Higher Education Grant, Special Support Grant, Parental Learning Allowance, Travel Grant and Disabled Student Allowance. Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	
		
			  Student support( 1)  England academic years 2006/07 to 2008/09 
			   Students (thousand)  Value (£ million) 
			  2006/07   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 397.3 807.7 
			 Maintenance Loan 728.1 2,613.4 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 6.4 14.1 
			 Childcare 8.3 27.1 
			 Grants for Maintenance(2) 320.9 471.2 
			
			  2007/08   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 553.5 1,388.6 
			 Maintenance Loan 746.2 2,630.7 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 6.9 15.6 
			 Childcare 9.6 31.2 
			 Grants for Maintenance(2) 395.2 713.2 
			
			  2008/09   
			 Tuition Fee Loan 696.9 1,981.1 
			 Maintenance Loan 771.5 2,717.0 
			 Adult Dependant Grant 7.8 18.0 
			 Childcare 9.8 36.1 
			 Grants for Maintenance(2) 495.7 1,025.0 
			 (1) Student numbers rounded to nearest 1,000, value of support rounded to nearest £ million. (2) Maintenance Grant and Higher Education Grant.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	The information requested on bursaries and scholarships is not available centrally as they are the responsibility of Higher Education Institutions. Reliable information is not available at constituency level. Complete information for the current academic year 2009/10 is not yet available, and will be available in late 2010 when a Statistical First Release on Student Support will be published on the Student Loans Company website.

Students

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in higher education did not receive payments in respect of  (a) tuition fee loans,  (b) maintenance loans,  (c) grants for living costs,  (d) bursaries and scholarships and  (e) extra help for students with children or adult dependants to which they were entitled before the commencement of their course in (i) Vale of York constituency, (ii) North Yorkshire and (iii) England in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value was of each such type of payment not made to students from each area in each such year before the commencement of their courses.

David Lammy: Tuition fee loans are not paid before commencement of the course. The information requested on bursaries and scholarships is not available centrally as they are the responsibility of higher education institutions. The other information requested in the answer cannot be produced except at disproportionate cost.

Students: Loans

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Chesterfield constituency have received student loans for university courses in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: Reliable information to answer this question is not available at constituency level.

Students: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students resident in the Milton Keynes area  (a) attended university courses and  (b) received student loans to attend university courses in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on enrolments from Milton Keynes local authority is shown in table 1. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Enrolments( 1)  from Milton Keynes local authority, UK higher education institutions( 2) , academic year 1997/98 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 1997/98 3,745 
			 1998/99 3,935 
			 1999/2000 4,005 
			 2000/01 4,020 
			 2001/02 4,250 
			 2002/03 4,400 
			 2003/04 4,650 
			 2004/05 4,880 
			 2005/06 5,055 
			 2006/07 5,185 
			 2007/08 5,250 
			 (1) Covers enrolments to both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses. (2) Excludes the Open university due to inconsistencies in its data across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a snapshot count as at 1 December to maintain consistency across the time series and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	Data from the Student Loans Company on the number of student loan borrowers from Milton Keynes are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Income contingent student loan borrowers, 2001/02 to 2008/09( 1) 
			  Academic year  Students receiving loans 
			 2001/02 2,500 
			 2002/03 2,700 
			 2003/04 3,000 
			 2004/05 3,100 
			 2005/06 3,300 
			 2006/07 3,400 
			 2007/08 3,600 
			 2008/09 3,800 
			 (1) Consistent data are not available before 2001/02. Figures cover income contingent loans for maintenance and tuition fees. Older mortgage style loans are excluded.  Source: Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	Data from the two sources (HESA and SLC) are not directly comparable because certain students and courses (for example postgraduate courses) included in table 1 do not attract student support. Additionally, table 2 provides those who have taken out loans, but does not include those who may have received student support in the form of a grant such as students from lower income families or those who study part-time courses.

UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding has been allocated to the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology in each year since its formation.

David Lammy: The UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology was set up in September 2004 by the Department for Trade and Industry, subsequently the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
	Funding has been allocated for each year as follows:
	
		
			  Government funding of the UKRC( 1) 
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 1.39 
			 2005-06 1.74 
			 2006-07 2.296 
			 2007-08 2.055 
			 2008-09 2.522 
			 2009-10 2.427 
			 2010-11 2.453 
			 (1) Variously DTI/DFES/DIUS/BIS

Unemployment

Michael Gove: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what methodology his Department used to determine the number of people not in education, employment or training expected to start courses in January as part of the January Guarantee.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	We are determined to ensure that every 16 and 17-year-old who is not in education, employment or training (NEET) is given an opportunity to engage in learning so that they can develop the skills they will need for the upturn. The January Guarantee will ensure that all 16 and 17-year-olds who are NEET in January 2010 have the offer of an entry to employment place.
	Information provided by Connexions services shows that there were around 60,000 16 and 17-year-olds NEET in January 2009. Many of these young people will already have a job or a place in learning to start in January, while there are others whose personal circumstances will prevent a return to learning at this time.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency: Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much BECTA has cost in each year since 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The funding allocation from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to British Educational Communication and Technology Agency (BECTA) for 2007-08 was £38,394,000 and for 2008-09 was £61,550,000.
	The funding allocations are from DCSF and other Government grants for expenditure to support the effective use of technology across the education and skills sectors.

BTEC Diplomas

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 16-year-olds completed a BTEC First Diploma in each subject in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The following tables shows the number of 16-year-olds in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) England who completed a BTEC First Diploma in each subject in each of the last five years for which information is available.
	
		
			  BTEC First Diploma awards achieved by those with an academic age of 16 in Leeds West constituency, 2003/08 
			   Year in which qualification was achieved 
			  Qualification title: Edexcel level 2 BTEC First Diploma:  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 For ICT Practitioners 0 0 0 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (General) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (Software Development) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Animal Care 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Applied Science 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Art and Design 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Business 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Caring 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Children's Care, Learning and Development 0 0 0 * * 
			 In Construction 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Countryside and Environment 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Design 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Early Years 0 0 * 0 0 
			 In Electronics 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Engineering 0 0 0 * 5 
			 In Fish Husbandry 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Floristry 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Front Line Services 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Health and Social Care 0 0 0 8 9 
			 In Horse Care 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Horticulture 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Hospitality 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Land-based Technology 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Logistics 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Manufacturing Engineering 0 0 * 0 0 
			 In Media 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Music 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Operations and Maintenance Engineering 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Performing Arts 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Public Services 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Retail 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Sport 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Sport and Exercise Sciences 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Travel and Tourism 0 0 0 0 * 
			 In Vehicle Service and Technology 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 0 0 * 14 18 
		
	
	
		
			  BTEC First Diploma awards achieved by those with an academic age of 16 in West  Yorkshire , 2003/08 
			   Year in which qualification was achieved 
			  Qualification title: Edexcel level 2 BTEC First Diploma:  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 For ICT Practitioners 0 0 0 112 164 
			 For IT Practitioners (General) 7 10 28 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) * 7 20 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (Software Development) 0 6 6 0 0 
			 In Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Animal Care 49 55 78 58 59 
			 In Applied Science 0 0 0 30 36 
			 In Art and Design 0 23 49 64 89 
			 In Business 10 54 87 127 181 
			 In Caring 27 53 45 0 0 
			 In Children's Care, Learning and Development 0 0 0 45 57 
			 In Construction 6 9 25 45 52 
			 In Countryside and Environment 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Design 20 17 7 * 0 
			 In Early Years 32 23 52 0 0 
			 In Electronics 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Engineering 0 0 0 21 25 
			 In Fish Husbandry 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Floristry 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Front Line Services 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Health and Social Care 0 0 25 191 200 
			 In Horse Care 5 11 * 10 * 
			 In Horticulture 0 4 * * 0 
			 In Hospitality 0 0 0 0 * 
			 In Land-based Technology 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Logistics 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Manufacturing Engineering 19 13 16 0 0 
			 In Media 5 7 10 21 25 
			 In Music 0 0 0 31 48 
			 In Operations and Maintenance Engineering * 0 4 0 0 
			 In Performing Arts 55 81 87 67 67 
			 In Public Services 75 82 106 106 97 
			 In Retail 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Sport 37 45 47 115 121 
			 In Sport and Exercise Sciences 24 39 29 0 0 
			 In Travel and Tourism 6 55 54 45 50 
			 In Vehicle Service and Technology 4 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 385 594 779 1,091 1,276 
		
	
	
		
			  BTEC First Diploma awards achieved by those with an academic age of 16 in  England , 2003/08 
			   Year in which qualification was achieved 
			  Qualification title: Edexcel level 2 BTEC First Diploma:  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 For ICT Practitioners 0 0 0 2,847 3,456 
			 For IT Practitioners (General) 598 1,169 1,465 7 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) 107 207 332 0 0 
			 For IT Practitioners (Software Development) 188 224 297 * 0 
			 In Agriculture 75 72 102 98 103 
			 In Animal Care 795 906 951 1,079 1,176 
			 In Applied Science 87 208 346 658 782 
			 In Art and Design 0 521 1,743 2,906 3,274 
			 In Business 307 949 1,992 3,515 4,790 
			 In Caring 561 1,018 385 * 0 
			 In Children's Care, Learning and Development 0 0 0 803 991 
			 In Construction 50 130 338 523 532 
			 In Countryside and Environment 79 92 152 148 162 
			 In Design 587 790 561 3 0 
			 In Early Years 439 628 936 7 0 
			 In Electronics 130 156 240 0 0 
			 In Engineering 0 0 0 1,020 1,205 
			 In Fish Husbandry 27 47 42 42 50 
			 In Floristry * 8 14 18 23 
			 In Front Line Services 0 0 0 0 0 
			 In Health and Social Care 0 0 1,524 3296 4,058 
			 In Horse Care 245 284 258 279 289 
			 In Horticulture 138 108 156 172 182 
			 In Hospitality 0 16 88 143 169 
			 In Land-based Technology 0 0 0 33 34 
			 In Logistics 0 0 4 0 20 
			 In Manufacturing Engineering 479 556 690 7 11 
			 In Media 232 868 1,182 1,501 1,718 
			 In Music 0 0 0 822 1,001 
			 In Operations and Maintenance Engineering 71 89 113 0 * 
			 In Performing Arts 1,644 2,048 2,425 1,735 1,737 
			 In Public Services 1,674 2,176 2,563 2,892 3,310 
			 In Retail * 27 111 139 241 
			 In Sport 1,489 2,248 2,827 4,147 4,246 
			 In Sport and Exercise Sciences 630 604 601 7 * 
			 In Travel and Tourism 231 933 1361 1,595 1,981 
			 In Vehicle Service and Technology 216 196 205 245 290 
			 Total 11,086 17,278 24,004 30,689 35,843 
			 * = Figures less than 3 have been suppressed.  Source: National Information System for Vocational Qualifications.

Children: Social Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the cost of conducting a serious case review.

Dawn Primarolo: The costs of conducting a serious case review are not held centrally. It is the responsibility of each Local Safeguarding Children Board to undertake a serious case review where appropriate. The costs will vary considerably depending on the complexity of the case and the cost of the independent overview author.

Christmas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007. Since then four Christmas trees have been purchased from a sustainable source at a total cost of £2,100. This included delivery and installation costs. The supplier has advised that for every tree that is cut down, another is grown. The trees are shredded and recycled.

Christmas

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department budgeted for Christmas trees in 2009.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 10 December 2009
	 The Department for Children, Schools and Families budgeted £550 for Christmas trees in 2009.

Departmental Buildings

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many smart meters are in use in his Department's main building; and  (a) when and  (b) at what cost such meters were installed.

Diana Johnson: At the present time no smart meters are in use in the Department for Children, Schools Families main building. However, funding has been secured from the Department for Energy and Climate Change for the installation of sub-metering which will enable us to identify where the most electricity is being consumed so that it can be targeted in the future.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Diana Johnson: Expenditure in respect of works and refurbishments to Ministers' offices in the last year was £19,876.00. This follows the appointment of an additional Minister to the Department in June 2009, which required a new office to be created.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Diana Johnson: To provide a response would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Hotels

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what expenditure his Department incurred on hotel accommodation in 2008-09.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was established in June 2007. Expenditure on hotel accommodation during 2008-09 was £1,510,651.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Diana Johnson: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee "Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall", the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) year end and  (b) in-year bonuses have been paid to officials in his Department in each of the last three years; and what expenditure his Department has incurred on such bonuses in each year.

Diana Johnson: The wages/salary bill for 2006-07 was £132.4 million of which non-consolidated performance payments represented 1.7 per cent. All employees are eligible for non-consolidated performance payments, subject to strict criteria in line with the Government's policy on public sector pay. Senior civil service non-consolidated payments are determined as part of a central performance management framework managed by the Cabinet Office. Payments for other grades are subject to the pay remit process and reflect previous pay settlements. Non-consolidated performance payments have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs (e.g. pensions) and are an integral element of the reward package for staff.
	The information for 2006/07 refers to the former Department for Education and Skills.
	
		
			   Number of non-consolidated payments  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2006-07 1,235 1.9 
		
	
	The wages/salary bill for 2007-08 was £111.9 million of which non-consolidated performance payments represented 1.9 per cent.
	
		
			   Number of non-consolidated payments  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2007-08 1,669 2.1 
		
	
	The wages/salary bill for 2008-09 was £111.8 million of which non-consolidated performance payments represented 1.9 per cent.
	
		
			   Number of non-consolidated payments  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2008-09 1,403 1.9

Departmental Training

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course.

Diana Johnson: We hold records on training provided centrally. In the 12 months to the end of November 2009, one employee attended a training course where an element of it was delivered overseas. This was a leadership development programme at the National School of Government which consisted of six modules of which five were delivered locally in the UK. The total cost was £14,500, with the overseas element of the programme amounting to £4,350.
	A number of training courses are agreed locally and a detailed check of those records to see if any involved an element of overseas travel would incur disproportionate cost.

Driving

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive  (a) a vehicle for which his Department is responsible have valid driving licences and  (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has travel policy in place for staff which is accessible via the Department's intranet. This guidance states clear roles and responsibilities for managers and staff. The responses to the questions raised are:
	ix(a) Mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff hold valid driving licences for any vehicles the Department is responsible for. (The Department does not own any vehicles.)
	(b) Mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who use their own vehicles for official business must have valid driving licences and insurance. Before using their own vehicles for official travel, staff must complete an application form which, together with copies of their Motor Vehicle Insurance Certificate, MOT certificate (if appropriate) and a business case signed by at least a Deputy Director, is sent to the Professional Services and Commodities Category Unit for approval.
	(c) Road safety guidance for staff. The Department has produced a "Safe Driving Policy" booklet (available via the intranet) which provides road safety guidance. It is expected that compliance to the departmental guidelines is observed by staff.
	(d) Steps to monitor compliance to the guidance. Staff have the responsibility to ensure compliance with the guidance.
	(e) Requirements to report accidents. All accidents associated with hire companies are brought to the attention of the Professional Services and Commodities Category Unit for investigation.
	(f) Accident reports are investigated. All notified motor vehicle accidents are thoroughly investigated.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to extend the education maintenance allowance to age groups other than those currently eligible; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The policy intention of education maintenance allowance is to encourage more young people aged 16 to 19 from low-income families to participate in post-compulsory learning. We do not have plans to extend the eligible age group.
	Adult learners (aged 19-plus) can apply for the adult learning grant (ALG). This pays up to £30 per week, during term time, to those on low incomes undertaking full-time learning for their first full level 2 or first full level 3 qualification. Young people in receipt of EMA can move on to ALG when they become 19 where they remain in learning.

Educational Institutions: Vetting

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what sanctions will be taken against language schools which use host families for foreign students who have not undergone vetting and barring scheme or Criminal Records Bureau checks;
	(2)  how many representations he has received from language schools on the application of the vetting and barring scheme and Criminal Records Bureau checks for host families for foreign children in the last six months.

Dawn Primarolo: There are currently no requirements on language schools to conduct Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on the individuals they engage to host foreign students.
	Acting as host parents for a student at a language school is regulated activity under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Engaging in regulated activity will normally require registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). However, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on 14 December 2009,  Official  Report, column 50WS, in his response to the Sir Roger Singleton's report "Drawing the Line" on the vetting and barring scheme, we shall lift the requirement for registration for exchange visits where the student's parents accept responsibility for the selection of the host family, the host parents are unpaid volunteers, and the visit lasts less than 28 days.
	Where these conditions are not met, the requirement for registration of the host parents will remain in place. Where the requirement for registration applies, a language school that uses host parents without checking their ISA registration status would commit an offence under section 11 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Under section 11(9), the maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of up to level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5,000).
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not received any representations from language schools on this issue during the last six months.

Engagement Programme Funding

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 14 to 19 engagement programme funding is allocated to  (a) schools,  (b) colleges and  (c) other organisations in 2009/10; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Key Stage 4 engagement programme is a locally shaped and managed initiative and local authorities have developed a range of models for delivering the programme in their area. DCSF funding for 2009/10 totals £19,334,000 and this is used in different ways by the 142 local authorities involved. Detailed data breaking down how each local authority is deploying this resource are not kept centrally and therefore it is not possible to provide the overview sought by the hon. Member.

GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils of each ethnic group at the end of Key Stage 4 who were  (a) eligible and  (b) not eligible for free school meals achieved five A* grades at GCSE including English and mathematics, excluding equivalents, in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Home Education

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has received any reports of  (a) abuse and  (b) poor educational practice in the home educated environment in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The Department collected statistical information relating to safeguarding and educational concerns about home educated children that can be found at
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ete/independentreviewofhomeeducation/irhomeeducation/
	Some reports of specific instances of abuse or poor educational practice were made to Graham Badman and DCSF as part of the background evidence collected for the Review of Elective Home Education in England.

Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in each of the last five years.

Diana Johnson: Expenditure on hotels on behalf on individuals is not held separately. The following table shows the cumulative spend for Ministers, special advisers and civil servants for each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial years  Hotels (£) 
			 2005 1,161,915 
			 2006 1,039,714 
			 2007 1,006,349 
			 2008 1,191,780 
			 2009 1,510,651 
		
	
	Travel by Ministers, civil servants and special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code and the civil service management code respectively.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what communication there has been between the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit and the Independent Safeguarding Authority since July 2009.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit (NSDU) does not routinely communicate with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The ISA has been asked to join the Partnership Network, a broad coalition of partners, including key voluntary sector and professional stakeholders, which has been established to work with the NSDU to pursue specific issues impacting on effective front-line safeguarding practice.
	Sir Roger Singleton provides advice and challenge to the NSDU in his independent capacity as chief adviser on the safety of children.

Personal Social and Health Education

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether education about homosexual relationships is a compulsory part of the school curriculum for  (a) primary school and  (b) secondary school pupils.

Diana Johnson: Under existing legislation, secondary schools are required by law to provide sex education, but there is no requirement for primary schools to provide sex education. Both primary and secondary schools are also required to deliver the statutory science curriculum, which includes age-appropriate information on human biology. In addition we expect schools to provide a much broader programme of sex and relationships education (SRE) through well planned and non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. As part of this programme schools should teach about all types of relationships that exist within society, including homosexual relationships.
	SRE should be taught gradually, so that learning can be built upon year-by-year in a way that is appropriate to the age and maturity of each child. For example, SRE in primary schools will address issues of differences and bullying.
	We have announced our intention to legislate to make PSHE education, including SRE, a statutory subject within the national curriculum at key stages 1-4.
	Provisions are included within the Children, Schools and Families Bill which will give effect to this change. Further information is available in the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State on 5 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 49-52WS.

Pupils: Epilepsy

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will produce an action plan to improve the results achieved at school by children with epilepsy;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with epilepsy representative groups to improve educational outcomes for children with epilepsy.

Diana Johnson: The Government are committed to closing the gap in educational achievement between children with special educational needs and their peers.
	The Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department of Health are currently engaged with key stakeholders, including those from organisations representing epilepsy, in developing revised guidance to schools on how to support children and young people with medical needs. The guidance will support schools to develop policies in relation to managing the health needs of children and young people: this will include advice to teachers and support staff on how to administer medicines. We have a stakeholder meeting scheduled for January at which we will discuss how the organisations representing the conditions can enhance the guidance.
	In the Children's Plan progress report, we announced £31 million for the two-year Achievement for All project to improve outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disability which would include children with epilepsy who have additional needs. The project is taking place in around 450 schools across 10 local authorities for two years from September 2009 until September 2011.

Pupils: Religious Freedom

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of Lautsi  v Italy on educational institutions in England.

Diana Johnson: We are currently considering the implications of this ruling but our early conclusions are that we believe that the circumstances in Italy are clearly different from those in England and that such a ruling would have no impact on our schools provision. This is because the concerns of the court in this case, which lead to the breach of human rights conclusion, were around the lack of pluralism in the Italian education system-that there was no choice for non-Christian parents/pupils in Italy since every classroom in every school must be adorned with a crucifix-as set out in a Royal Decree. This is certainly not the case in England where there is no such universal display of religious imagery. Parental choice is a key feature of our education system and the majority of schools are maintained schools of no particular religion but there is also the choice available of faith schools catering for many different faiths.

School Meals

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the average cost of providing a school meal in the latest period for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The Department does not collect this information. However, the Fourth Annual Survey of Take-up of School Lunches in England, published in November 2009 by the School Food Trust and the Local Authority Caterers Association, gives average lunch prices in 2008/09 of £1.77 in primary schools, and £1.88 in secondary schools. Information on the average cost of providing a school meal is not collected by the survey.

Schools

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools were (i) opened and (ii) closed in each region in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information is provided in the following tables.
	 Source:
	EduBase 2
	
		
			  Phase of education and year of opening 
			   Middle Deemed Primary  Primary  
			  Government Office Region  1997  2002  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Grand total 
			 East Midlands - - - - - - - 3 2 7 3 26 9 2 10 8 8 11 10 1 100 
			 East of England - - - - - - - 4 6 6 16 13 8 13 11 11 8 24 13 5 138 
			 London - - - 1 1 1 1 11 20 21 16 22 14 16 9 7 7 8 6 4 165 
			 North East - - - - - - - 4 5 3 6 3 10 10 7 6 14 4 5 3 80 
			 North West - - - - - - - 13 11 16 7 17 23 20 15 16 10 16 12 7 183 
			 South East - - - - - - - 11 2 14 12 16 9 12 21 13 13 19 18 4 164 
			 South West 1 1 1 - 1 - 1 4 13 15 15 10 4 9 5 17 18 13 12 12 152 
			 West Midlands - - - - - - - 7 8 13 16 8 8 12 17 17 13 31 4 11 165 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - - - - - - - 6 3 9 13 8 15 10 11 12 8 15 5 6 121 
			 Grand total 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 63 70 104 104 123 100 104 106 107 99 141 85 53 1,268 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase of education and year of opening 
			   MDS  Secondary  
			  Government Office Region  2001  2004  2006  2008  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Grand total 
			 East Midlands - 1 - - - - 1 - 3 1 1 3 - - 1 - - 11 
			 East of England - - - - 1 - 1 1 1 - 1 - 1 3 3 - - 12 
			 London - - - - 2 2 8 3 3 4 1 2 1 1 2 - - 29 
			 North East - - 1 - - - 1 1 2 2 2 1 - - 1 - 1 12 
			 North West - - - - 2 1 1 4 3 2 1 3 3 9 3 1 6 39 
			 South East - - - 1 2 2 3 1 3 2 2 1 2 - - - 1 20 
			 South West - - - - 1 - 2 2 - - 1 1 1 3 2 - - 13 
			 West Midlands 2 - - - 1 1 - - 3 - - - - 1 5 - 1 14 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - - - - - 1 1 3 3 1 - - - - 2 - 2 13 
			 Grand total 2 1 1 1 9 7 18 15 21 12 9 11 8 17 19 1 11 163 
			  MDS = Middle Deemed Secondary Schools 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase of education and year of closures 
			   Middle Deemed Primary 
			  Government Office Region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 East Midlands - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 East of England - - - 1 - - - - - 12 3 
			 London - - - - - 3  1 1 1 1 
			 North East - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 North West - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 South East 2 3 3 3 1 - 8 - - - 5 
			 South West 2 - - 1 - - 1 4 1 - 1 
			 West Midlands - - - 1 1 - - - - - - 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - - - - 2 - - - - - - 
			 Grand total 4 3 3 6 4 3 9 5 2 13 10 
		
	
	continued
	
		
			   Primary  
			  Government Office Region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Grand total 
			 East Midlands 8 4 7 7 38 16 11 11 28 18 27 30 10 215 
			 East of England 2 16 7 23 29 13 27 20 25 11 35 27 5 256 
			 London 30 38 41 26 37 27 30 23 12 14 19 15 18 337 
			 North East 9 13 7 12 12 22 21 17 14 26 13 20 10 196 
			 North West 53 33 43 21 43 62 42 41 49 41 39 42 20 529 
			 South East 24 7 21 15 28 17 16 28 22 37 33 34 7 314 
			 South West 8 37 19 24 13 14 12 12 32 35 34 24 27 301 
			 West Midlands 20 15 30 31 21 22 25 39 36 36 48 11 24 360 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 14 8 19 23 23 31 24 26 24 28 32 18 14 286 
			 Grand total 168 171 194 182 244 224 208 217 242 246 280 221 135 2,794 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase of education and year of closure 
			   Middle Deemed Secondary 
			  Government Office Region  1997  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 East Midlands 2 - 9 - - 15 - - - - - 
			 East of England - - 3 - - - - 1 - - - 
			 London - - - 2 - - - - - - - 
			 North East - 3 2 5 1 2 3 2 - 4 3 
			 North West - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 South East - - - - 10 - - - - 5 2 
			 South West - - - - - 3 5 - - - - 
			 West Midlands - - 4 - - 1 - - 11 1 - 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 7 57 - - - - - - - 1 - 
			 Grand total 9 60 18 7 11 21 8 3 11 11 5 
		
	
	
		
			   Secondary  
			  Government Office Region  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Grand total 
			 East Midlands 4 1 8 3 6 1 4 6 1 - - 8 10 78 
			 East of England 2 3 2 2 - 1 3 - - 5 9 5 10 46 
			 London - 1 6 - 1 4 3 3 6 7 6 8 7 54 
			 North East - 2 3 2 4 5 5 - - - 4 2 7 59 
			 North West - 2 6 9 7 5 2 4 5 16 8 16 22 102 
			 South East 1 3 4 3 4 3 3 1 2 1 7 8 12 69 
			 South West - - - 4 - 4 1 3 1 1 3 4 5 34 
			 West Midlands - 3 - - 4 3 2 - 1 4 10 7 9 60 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1 1 3 4 4 1 - 4 2 6 8 3 14 116 
			 Grand total 8 16 32 27 30 27 23 21 18 40 55 61 96 618

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of undertaking an assessment for special educational needs.

Diana Johnson: The Department has not made an estimate of the average cost of a statutory assessment of a child's special educational needs (SEN). However, in 2002 the Audit Commission published a report Statutory assessment and statements of SEN: in need of review? which estimated the overall cost of producing an SEN statement, including the assessment, was £2,500.

Teachers: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of schoolteachers earn more than £18,000 a year.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not available in the format requested because records are incomplete for part-time and unqualified teachers.
	All full-time qualified teachers in service in local authority maintained schools earn more than £18,000 per annum. The minimum salary for qualified teachers in England and Wales excluding the London area is £21,102 and for unqualified teachers £15,461.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Commonwealth: Health Services

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 30 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 113-14WS, on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting; if he will publish the Commonwealth Health Compact agreement; whether under the agreement Commonwealth citizens who are visitors and lawfully in the UK will be entitled to free hospital care and treatment if admission to hospital was non-elective and the need for admission and treatment was unforeseen before the individual's entry into the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The commitments made in Commonwealth Health Compact agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009 are set out in the paragraph 93 of the official communiqué of the meeting. In the Compact Heads of Government:
	Called on donor countries to deliver existing commitments for financing in health and identify ways to increase international resources;
	Welcomed the steps taken by low-income countries towards universal access to health services, making them free at the point of use and urged further concerted action;
	Support the role of civil society to advocate for, support and contribute to universal coverage of basic health care.
	The compact focuses on efforts to support developing countries to meet the domestic health needs of their own populations, particularly by strengthening health systems and removing financial barriers to the poor in accessing to domestic health services. The compact is not relevant to and makes no commitments on the provision of health services by any country to visiting foreign nationals.

Departmental Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) cancelled one conference within the last three financial years, 2006-07 to 2008-09. The conference was titled 'Tackling Overseas Bribery' and was scheduled to take place from 3-4 September 2008. The cost of cancellation was £7,500.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has sponsored no secondary legislation that has created or abolished a criminal offence since 1 May 2008.

Offenders

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of his Department have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) holds details of criminal convictions on classified individual personal security files. We do not maintain a central record of the number of staff convicted of criminal offences.

HEALTH

AIDS: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) males and  (b) females were diagnosed with AIDS in (i) Chorley, (ii) Lancashire and (ii) the North West in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: There were no reported new HIV diagnoses or first AIDS diagnoses in the local authority area of Chorley between 2004 and 2008.
	The information requested relating to Lancashire and the North West is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Area of diagnosis  Report type  Sex  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North West New HIV diagnoses Males 426 460 445 385 407 
			   Females 220 249 194 196 206 
			  First AIDS diagnoses Males 71 68 60 75 49 
			   Females 35 17 23 27 12 
			 
			 Lancashire(1) New HIV diagnoses Males 67 83 56 44 56 
			   Females 20 16 10 19 21 
			  First AIDS diagnoses Males 13 9 13 17 14 
			   Females 5 5 5 5 5 
			 (1) Does not include sites situated in either Greater Manchester or Merseyside.  Notes: 1. Diagnoses are from reports received to end June 2009. Numbers will rise as further reports are received. 2. Data include individuals who have an existing infection as well as those who have a newly acquired infection and therefore the data do not present incidence of infection. 3. The area in which an individual is diagnosed is not necessarily the area of residence. 4. AIDS diagnoses relate to a person's first diagnosis of an AIDS defining illness. Subsequent diagnoses are not recorded.  Source:  Health Protection Agency.

Alcoholism: Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of alcohol-related hospital admissions in each strategic health authority area were repeat admissions in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Babies: Screening

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what professional qualifications are required for a health practitioner in the NHS to perform the Ortolani and Barlow manoeuvre at the newborn and six to eight week physical examination.

Ann Keen: Registered medical practitioners undertake these examinations. They are most commonly done by general practitioners or paediatricians. They will have had additional training, but no further qualifications are required.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline, Routine postnatal care of women and their babies, states that within 72 hours of birth and at six to eight weeks the baby's hips should be checked using the Barlow and Ortolani manoeuvres.
	The guideline also advises that all health care professionals who care for mothers and babies should work within the relevant competencies developed by Skills for Health:
	www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
	Relevant health care professionals should also have demonstrated competency and sufficient ongoing clinical experience in undertaking maternal and newborn physical examinations and recognising abnormalities.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase participation rates in bowel cancer screening in  (a) Waltham Forest,  (b) Redbridge,  (c) London and  (d) England.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for screening services, including the promotion of the NHS bowel screening programme. We would expect those areas with low bowel screening uptake rates to develop targeted programmes to tackle this locally. NHS London has advised that both Redbridge and Waltham Forest PCTs are working to address the issue of low uptake among their local eligible populations.
	As the screening programme was implemented in local areas, NHS cancer screening programmes sent out an information pack to all local general practitioners (GPs). As well as explaining how the programme works, the packs contained promotional information, including posters for GPs to use to promote the programme in their own practices.
	The National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative, launched in November 2008, is working with NHS cancer screening programmes on key messages and awareness programmes to improve screening uptake, particularly in deprived groups.

Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust: Nurses

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were employed in the area covered by Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the numbers of qualified nursing staff for the organisations specified.
	
		
			   Number (headcount) as at 30 September each year 
			   2002  2008 
			  Total specified organisations   
			 All qualified nursing staff 2,709 3,098 
			 Qualified hospital and community health services (HCHS) nursing staff 2,545 2,945 
			 General practitioner (GP) practice nurses 164 153 
			 of which:   
			  Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT)   
			 All qualified nursing staff 794 937 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff 630 784 
			 GP practice nurses 164 153 
			
			  Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust   
			 All qualified nursing staff 1,915 2,161 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff 1,915 2,161 
			 GP practice nurses n/a n/a 
			 n/a = not applicable  Notes: 1. Due to organisation changes it is not possible to provide comparable data for the area covered by Central Lancashire PCT with any degree of accuracy prior to 2002. 2. Data Quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service trusts and PCTs in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics The Information Centre for health and social care Non-medical Workforce Census

Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust: Waiting Lists

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for  (a) an in-patient and  (b) an out-patient in the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust was in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the median in-patient waiting time for elective admission patients still waiting in all specialties for the time period 1997-2009 for commissioner organisations in the central Lancashire area.
	
		
			  Organisation  Waiting time (weeks) 
			  Month ending March 1997  
			 North West Lancashire Health Authority (HA) 11.9 
			 South Lancashire HA 15.4 
			   
			  Month Ending October 2009  
			 Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) 2.8 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time 2. In-patient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 3. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 4. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 5. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data.  Source: Department of Health waiting list collections QF01 and MMRCOM 
		
	
	The following table shows the median out-patient waiting time for a first out-patient appointment for patients seen in the year in all specialties for the time period 1997-2007 for commissioner organisations in the central Lancashire area.
	
		
			  Organisation  Waiting time (weeks) 
			  Financial year 1997-98  
			 South Lancashire HA 7.5 
			 North West Lancashire HA 6.0 
			   
			  Financial year 2007-08  
			 Central Lancashire PCT 4.5 
		
	
	The following table shows the median out-patient waiting time for a first out-patient appointment for patients still waiting at the period end in all specialties for the time period 2005-09 for commissioner organisations in the central Lancashire area.
	
		
			  Organisation  Waiting time (weeks) 
			  Month ending March 2005  
			 Chorley and South Ribble PCT 4.7 
			 West Lancashire PCT 5.3 
			 Preston PCT 4.6 
			   
			  Month ending October 2009  
			 Central Lancashire PCT 2.6 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time. 2. Out-patient waiting times are measured from referral by the GP to first out-patient appointment to the consultant. 3. From 1997-98 all time bands for out-patients seen were first collected so only average waiting first out-patient times can be made from this point in time. 4. The out-patient seen figures relate to the average wait for patients seen during the whole of each year except for 2007-08 where figures relate to quarters 1 and 2 combined. 5. The last time these data were collected for each specialty was for period ending September 2007. 6. From 2004-05 all time bands for out-patients not seen were first collected so only average waiting first out-patient times on a waiting basis can be made from this point in time. 7. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 8. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data. 9. Historically, since 1997, we collected out-patient waiting times based on numbers seen during the quarter (the QM08 return). In addition, we collected data on a 'still waiting' basis in our monthly return alongside our in-patient waiting times figures. However, unlike the in-patient figures, we did not collect the full waiting list on out-patients, just the long waiters. Therefore, it was not possible to calculate the average wait on this basis. 10. Since 2004-05, we collected the full out-patient waiting list, hence we could start calculating average waits on the same basis as in-patients from this date. We have since phased out the out-patient 'seen' collection, so we now can only use the 'still waiting' or 'not seen' figures. 11. The result of this is that average waits appear lower on the 'still waiting' basis simply because this is collected as a snapshot of patients waiting time at the end of the month before they have been seen. Therefore, the averages appear lower, but we have provided both sets so that users can see the effect and trend.  Source: Department of Health waiting list collections QM08R and MMRCOM

Community Health Services: Medical Equipment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what  (a) research and  (b) consultation his Department undertook before instructing local authorities to become the accrediting bodies for the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchairs Services retail model; and how many retailers have registered with local authorities for the purpose of providing such services;
	(2)  how many retailers have registered with the Community Equipment Dispensing Accreditation Board;
	(3)  how many organisations are using prescriptions for wheelchairs under the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchairs Services retail model.

Phil Hope: The Department has carried out a review of the developing retail marketplace and obtained feedback from the five local authorities and health partners who implemented a retail model by April 2009. Results show that most authorities prefer to undertake accreditation and monitoring of retailers within their localities using existing supplier vetting procedures. The Department does not collect information on how many retailers have registered with local authorities for the purpose of providing equipment.
	The Department has not collected information on the number of retailers who may have received accreditation through the Community Equipment Dispensing Accreditation Board, and the Department did not renew its endorsement of national accreditation after 30 September 2009.
	The prescription within the retail model has been designed for simple community equipment aids to daily living and does not include a delivery model for wheelchair services.

Community Health Services: Medical Equipment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many equipment stores have been decommissioned as a result of the implementation of the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchairs Services retail model; and what model is in place to provide the complex aids to daily living in areas in which such equipment stores have been decommissioned;
	(2)  how many organisations have been using the retail model since his Department's  (a) stakeholder events and  (b) endorsement of the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchairs Services retail model; whether those organisations are using that model for simple aids to daily living alone; and how much has been paid to management consultants for work for those organisations.

Phil Hope: The Department does not collect information on the decommissioning of local equipment stores. Decommissioning equipment stores is a decision for local authorities and their health partners to take based on their individual business cases.
	For the provision of complex aids, the Department has developed a methodology, tools and materials to assist and support local authorities and their health partners.
	Since ministerial endorsement of the wider implementation of the retail model in June 2008, the model is live in seven local authority and health partnerships where prescriptions are being issued for simple equipment. There are also nine local authority and health partners on track to start issuing prescriptions by the end of March 2010 and a further 14 who have contacted the national programme for support to implement the retail model.
	The Care Services Efficiency Delivery, on behalf of the London Joint Improvement Partnership, successfully bid to Capital Ambition, the London Regional Improvement and Efficiency Programme, for £1.93 million to accelerate the implementation of the retail model for simple aids across London within two years. The first wave of five sites have started their projects and it takes each locality between nine and 12 months from taking the decision to completing the implementation of the new model for simple aids to daily living. Sites will start to consider their complex equipment solution during months three to nine of their simple aids to daily living project. Currently there are three clusters of organisations developing in London, the North West and South West, who wish to work together to design more efficient complex equipment solutions.
	The Department does not collect information on how much has been paid to management consultants for work for those organisations.

Continuing Care: Expenditure

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of continuing healthcare has been in each primary care trust in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the cost of providing NHS-funded continuing healthcare in each primary care trust is not collected centrally.

Dental Services: Aluminium

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the extent of use of yellow-coloured copper aluminium alloy in place of dental gold in dental treatments;
	(2)  how many patients are estimated to have had yellow-coloured copper aluminium alloy fitted instead of dental gold in dental treatment without being informed of the material being used; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information is not held centrally on which we could base these assessments. The use of this alloy is not permitted in the manufacture of dental appliances prescribed for national health service patients under schedule 3 (a) of the NHS (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005. From April 2008 dentists have been required to provide information on the range of dental appliances they prescribe for NHS patients. If this suggests that there are abuses of the regulations, we will consult the NHS Counter Fraud Service on how to improve compliance.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Ann Keen: The criminal offences created by secondary legislation (a total of four statutory instruments) since 1 May 2008 are as follows:
	Regulation 6 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Registration of Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/660) made it a criminal offence for a person registered as a service provider to contravene or fail to comply with the provisions of regulation 5 of those regulations which set out requirements which a service provider has to meet in relation to the prevention and control of health care associated infections. This came into force on 1 April 2009.
	Regulation 25 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3112) makes it a criminal offence for a person to contravene or fail to comply with the provisions of these regulations which set out requirements which registered persons are required to meet in carrying out regulated activities. This will come into force on 1 April 2010.
	The Medical Devices (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/2936) implement directive 2007/47/EC on general medical devices and directive 90/385/EEC on active implantable devices. These will come into force on 21 March 2010. They amend the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/618) by adding additional requirements, each of which is punishable as a criminal offence, if not complied with. For general medical devices:
	A new regulation 8(3) of the Active Implantable Medical Devices Regulations 1992 is created, under which where a hazard exists, devices which are also machinery must also meet the essential health and safety requirements set out in annex I to directive 2006/42 to the extent to which those essential health and safety requirements are more specific than the essential requirements to directive 93/42;
	Regulation 9 is amended, so that when a custom-made device is supplied to a patient, the health care professional who writes the prescription for the custom-made device must, in relation to each patient that they supply with such a device, (a) ensure that the patient is aware that they may request the statement containing the information required by sections 1 and 2 of annex VIII; and (b) ensure that the statement containing the information required by sections 1 and 2 of annex VIII is made available to the patient on request;
	Regulation 14 is amended so that where a device is intended by the manufacturer to be used in conjunction with both the provisions in council directive 89/686/EEC on the approximation or the laws of the member states relating to personal protective equipment and directive 93/42, the relevant basic health and safety requirements of that directive must also be fulfilled;
	Regulation 16 is amended, requiring the manufacturer, or their single authorised representative, to (a) notify the Secretary of State of the end of the clinical investigation; and (b) provide justification where premature termination has resulted.
	Similar amendments are made to the provisions of the Active Implantable Medical Devices Regulations 1992 which deal with active implantable devices:
	Regulation 30 is amended so that the manufacturer of an active implantable device, who under their own name places devices on the market, must provide the Secretary of State with (a) the address of their registered place of business; (b) a description of the devices concerned; and (c) details of the label and instructions for use that accompany each device. Where they do not have a registered place of business in a member state, the manufacturer must (a) designate a single authorised representative; and (b) ensure that the authorised representative has a registered place of business in a member state.
	The Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Amendment Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/3097) amend the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisation Etc.) Regulations (SI 1994/3144) so as to give effect to Regulation (EC) No. 1901/2006 on medicinal products for paediatric use, which establishes a scheme of obligations and incentives to encourage the development of, and improve access to, medicines for children. These came into force on 29 December 2008. They amend the 1994 regulations by imposing several additional requirements, each of which is punishable as a criminal offence:
	An authorisation holder must submit an annual report to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) as required by article 34(4) of the paediatric regulation;
	A new paragraph 6BA is added, so that where the holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation has benefited from rewards or incentives under articles 36, 37 or 38 of the paediatric regulation in relation to the product to which the authorisation relates and the periods of protection provided pursuant to those articles have expired, he shall be guilty of an offence if he discontinues the placing of that product on the market without previously, in compliance with article 35 of the paediatric regulation (a) transferring the marketing authorisation of that product to another person who has declared his intention to continue to place that product on the market, or (b) allowing use by such a person of the pharmaceutical, pre-clinical and clinical documentation contained in the file on that product on the basis of article 10c of the directive 2001/83/EC;
	A new paragraph 6BB is added, so that where the holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation has benefited from rewards or incentives under articles 36, 37 or 38 of the paediatric regulation in relation to the product to which the authorisation relates, and the periods of protection provided pursuant to those articles have expired, he shall be guilty of an offence if he discontinues the placing of that product on the market without informing the EMEA in compliance with article 35 of the paediatric regulation, at least six months before the discontinuation of his intention to discontinue the placing of the product on the market;
	A new paragraph 6G is added, so that where any person who (a) is the holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation (b) obtains a paediatric indication in respect of the product to which the marketing authorisation relates following completion of an agreed paediatric investigation plan, (c) has marketed that product for other indications prior to obtaining that paediatric indication and (d) fails to place the product on the market taking account of the paediatric indication within two years of the date on which the paediatric indication is authorised as required by article 33 of the paediatric regulation, he shall be guilty of an offence;
	A new paragraph 13B(1) is added, so that any person established in the United Kingdom to whom a decision by the EMEA in respect of a paediatric investigation plan is addressed shall be guilty of an offence if the plan relates to a product which does not have a Community marketing authorisation and the person fails to (a) enter into the database referred to in article 11 of the clinical trials directive within a period of six months beginning with the date that the decision was received, the details set out in that article in relation to clinical trials referred to in the paediatric investigation plan and carried out in third countries as required by article 41(1) of the paediatric regulation; or (b) submit the results of those clinical trials to the EMEA within a period of six months beginning with the date that the trial ended as required by article 41(2) of the paediatric regulation;
	A new paragraph 13B(2) is added, so that where the holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation instigates or conducts a paediatric clinical trial in the United Kingdom in respect of the product to which the authorisation relates and the trial is not included in a paediatric investigation plan, he shall be guilty of an offence if he fails to submit the results of that trial to the EMEA within a period of six months beginning with the date that the trial ended, as required by article 41(2) of the paediatric regulation;
	A new paragraph 13B(3) is added, so that where the holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation has instigated or conducted a paediatric clinical trial in the United Kingdom which ended on or after 26 January 2007 but before 29 December 2008 in respect of the product to which the authorisation relates and the trial is not included in a paediatric investigation plan, he shall be guilty of an offence if he fails to submit the results of that trial to the EMEA on or before 29 June 2009, as required by article 41(2) of the paediatric regulation;
	A new paragraph 13B(4) is added, so that where any person who (a) is the sponsor of a paediatric clinical trial in the United Kingdom in respect of a medicinal product (i) with a United Kingdom marketing authorisation, but where the trial is not instigated by the marketing authorisation holder; or (ii) without a United Kingdom or Community marketing authorisation, where the trial is not included in a paediatric investigation plan; and (b) fails to submit the results of that trial to the EMEA within the period of six months beginning on the date that the trial ended as required by article 41(2) of the paediatric regulation, he shall be guilty of an offence;
	A new paragraph 13B(5) is added, so that where any person who (a) has sponsored a paediatric clinical trial in the United Kingdom in respect of a medicinal product (i) with a United Kingdom marketing authorisation, but who is not the marketing authorisation holder; or (ii) without a United Kingdom or Community marketing authorisation, where the trial is not included in a paediatric investigation plan and ended on or after 26 January 2007 but before 29 December 2008; and (b) fails to submit the results of that trial to the EMEA on or before 29 June 2009 as required by article 41(2) of the paediatric regulation, he shall be guilty of an offence;
	A new paragraph 13B(6) is added, so that any holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation who (a) has knowledge of a paediatric study in respect of the product to which the authorisation relates that ended on or before 25 January 2007; and (b) fails to submit that paediatric study to the licensing authority on or before 29 June 2009 as required by article 45(1) of the paediatric regulation, shall be guilty of an offence;
	A new paragraph 13B(7) is added, so that any holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation who (a) sponsors a paediatric study in respect of the product to which the authorisation relates; and (b) fails to submit the results to the licensing authority within a period of six months beginning with the date that the trial ended as required by article 46(1) of the paediatric regulation, shall be guilty of an offence;
	A new paragraph 13B(8) is added, so that any holder of a United Kingdom marketing authorisation who (a) has sponsored a paediatric study in respect of the product to which the authorisation relates which ended on or after 26 January 2007 but before 29 December 2008; and (b) fails to submit the results to the licensing authority on or before 29 June 2009 as required by article 46(1) of the paediatric regulation, shall be guilty of an offence.
	No criminal offences have been abolished by secondary legislation since 1 May 2008.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of treating diabetes in children under the age of 16 years was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the cost of treating diabetes in adults was in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Estimates of national health service expenditure on diabetes are available from the programme budgeting returns. However, the programme budget returns do not contain age-specific data relating to the treatment of diabetes.
	The following table shows the estimated gross level expenditure for diabetes from 2004-08 in England. These figures include primary care trust, Department of Health (DH), strategic health authority and special health authority expenditure. It should be noted that these figures do not include prevention expenditure or general medical services/primary medical services expenditure. This is considerable, but we cannot quantify it separately.
	
		
			   Diabetes expenditure (£)  DH gross expenditure (£)  Diabetes as a proportion of gross expenditure (Percentage) 
			 2004-05 687,402 71,922,179 1.0 
			 2005-06 866,000 80,185,241 1.1 
			 2006-07 1,043,021 84,193,209 1.2 
			 2007-08 1,151,183 93,183,426 1.2

Diabetes: Young People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many 16 to 24-year-olds are being treated for diabetes in  (a) England,  (b) Leicester and  (c) the East Midlands;
	(2)  how many 16 to 24-year-olds in  (a) England,  (b) Leicester and  (c) the East Midlands have been diagnosed with (i) type 1 diabetes and (ii) type 2 diabetes.

Ann Keen: The data requested are not collected routinely, as participation in the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) is not mandatory. The NDA does not have 100 per cent. coverage or participation and therefore cannot provide the information required.
	Data from Growing Up with Diabetes: children and young people with diabetes in England reported that in February 2009 there were 4,917 people aged 16 and 17 in England with diabetes and 331 people aged 16 and 17 in the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) with diabetes.
	Of the 4,917 people aged 16 and 17 in England with diabetes, 4,629 had type 1 diabetes and 288 had type 2 diabetes. In the East Midlands SHA there were 313 people aged 16 and 17 with type 1 diabetes and 18 people aged 16 and 17 with type 2 diabetes.
	This survey did not collect data on people aged 18 and over and data are only available by SHA.

Dietary Supplements: EC Law

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Food Standards Agency will raise at future meetings with the authorities in Guernsey and Jersey the implementation of the EU  (a) Food Supplements Directive and  (b) Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.

Gillian Merron: The implementation of the Food Supplements Directive and Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation was last raised with the authorities of Guernsey and Jersey in September 2009. No further meetings are currently planned.

Disabled: Social Security Benefits

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether all existing and future claimants of  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance who are over the age of 65 years will need to agree care plans in order to receive an equivalent level of support;
	(2)  whether all  (a) existing and  (b) future claimants of (i) attendance allowance and (ii) disability living allowance who are over the age of 65 will have the option of continuing to be able to receive their benefit in cash via a direct payment from a future national care service.

Phil Hope: If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the introduction of the National Care Service, people receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform will continue to receive the same level of cash support. We do not anticipate that these people will need to agree a care plan in order to access this cash support.
	As we said in the Green Paper, if we were to draw some disability benefits for older people into the new National Care Service, we would create a new offer for individuals with care needs. This support would be delivered in line with the best principles of benefits; a system that is consistent across the country, flexible methods of payment and investment in prevention.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on healthcare in the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust area  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) other health care categories in each year since 1999.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not held in the format requested.
	Figures on how much has been spent on health care services in the Gloucestershire primary care trust (PCT) area from 2002-03 to 2008-09 are given in the following table. These are the only years for which the information is available by organisation.
	
		
			  Gloucestershire PCT-purchase of health care 2002-03 to 2008-09 
			  £000 
			   Primary health care  Secondary health care  Other health care 
			 2008-09 191,546 589,362 1,188 
			 2007-08 182,552 559,397 625 
			 2006-07 177,393 499,992 2,749 
			 2005-06 164,813 491,882 1,151 
			 2004-05 153,618 451,735 1,023 
			 2003-04 128,961 383,058 610 
			 2002-03 100,199 355,689 473 
			  Notes: 1. The figures represent the total primary, secondary and other health care purchased and provided for the PCT's resident population, with the exception of primary dental and general ophthalmic services since these costs are not directly attributed to PCTs on the basis of a patient's place of residence. 2. 'Other healthcare' as defined in the audited summarisation schedules is taken to include expenditure for national health service trust impairments, plus grants to other bodies for health related capital projects under joint working arrangements.  Source: Audited summarisation schedules 2002-03 to 2008-09

Health Services: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) Gloucestershire county council and  (b) district councils in Gloucestershire were paid by the NHS for joint-funded projects in each year since 1999.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether EU citizens are entitled to free hospital care and treatment in circumstances where admission to hospital is non-elective as the need for admission and treatment was unforeseen prior to the patient's entry into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Residents of the European economic area and Switzerland visiting the United Kingdom (UK) are entitled, free of charge, to all necessary national health service hospital treatment.
	Under European regulations, where visitors carry a valid European Health Insurance Card the UK can then reclaim the cost of that treatment from the citizen's home member state.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the NHS  (a) was entitled to reclaim and  (b) has reclaimed for health care carried out on UK citizens in other countries with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement in the last 12-month period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much has been reclaimed by the NHS for healthcare carried out in England in respect of nationals of other countries with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The United Kingdom does not claim reimbursement for UK citizens treated in other countries on the basis of bilateral health care agreements, as the costs are incurred in the country that provided the health care, and not in the UK.
	Similarly, countries with which the UK has a bilateral health care agreement do not claim reimbursement from the UK for treatment provided in the UK to their citizens, as the costs are incurred in the UK, and not in the citizen's home country.
	European regulations provide for the UK to reclaim costs from the European economic area and Switzerland for health care provided to their citizens, and vice versa.

Hospital Wards: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) mixed-sex and  (b) single-sex wards there are in South London Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on the different types of ward may be obtained from the national health service locally.

Ice Skating: Injuries

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people required hospital treatment as a result of ice-skating accidents in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) each county in the North West in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for hospital admissions involving ice-skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards by North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) of residence is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Finished admission episodes( 1)  for fall involving ice-skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards( 2)  by North West SHA and PCT of residence( 3) , 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			  SHA/PCT of residence description  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 North West SHA 561 642 474 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 18 13 12 
			 Salford PCT 9 22 8 
			 Stockport PCT 32 32 19 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 27 35 12 
			 Blackpool PCT 14 12 19 
			 Bolton PCT 13 24 19 
			 Warrington PCT 20 17 23 
			 Knowsley PCT 14 9 8 
			 Oldham PCT 28 26 20 
			 Bury PCT 13 11 9 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 12 19 16 
			 Cumbria PCT 34 20 27 
			 North Lancashire PCT 31 29 26 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 53 51 33 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 44 51 30 
			 Sefton PCT 23 30 21 
			 Wirral PCT 22 28 25 
			 Liverpool PCT 25 38 22 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 19 33 22 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 23 30 11 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 33 51 38 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 16 11 8 
			 Trafford PCT 21 22 20 
			 Manchester PCT 17 28 26 
			  Notes: (1) Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in HES. Cause code used: W02-Fall involving ice-skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards. (3) The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.  Source:  The NHS information centre for health and social care.

Multiple Sclerosis

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people with multiple sclerosis.

Ann Keen: The National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions, published in 2005, estimated there were between 52-62,000 people in the United Kingdom with this condition.

Multiple Sclerosis: Nurses

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses specialise in caring for people with multiple sclerosis.

Ann Keen: This nurse specialty is not identified separately on the NHS work force census.

NHS: Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many websites have the suffix nhs.uk in their web address.

Mike O'Brien: As at 15 December 2009, there were 6,004 live United Kingdom websites with the nhs.uk suffix. 3,985 of these were live records within the English national health service web estate. The remainder have been allocated by the devolved Administrations.
	These numbers are constantly changing as new websites are created and old websites decommissioned.

Nottingham Hospital: Manpower

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses were employed at Nottingham City Hospital in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data for the Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: qualified nursing staff and medical and dental staff within specified organisations 1997 to 2008 
			  Headcount 
			   As at 30 September each year 
			   1997  2008 
			 Qualified Nursing staff 3,099 3,770 
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 1,442 n/a 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University NHS Trust 1,657 n/a 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - 3,770 
			 Medical and Dental staff 967 1,371 
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 371 n/a 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University NHS Trust 596 n/a 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - 1,371 
			 n/a = Not applicable.  Note: In 2006 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust merged with Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University NHS Trust to become Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Therefore data have been provided for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2008 and its component parts in 1997.  Data Quality Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: Medical and Dental Workforce Census, The Information Centre for health and social care

Offenders

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been convicted of a criminal offence of each type in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Department has no central records of any members of staff of the core Department who have been convicted of a criminal offence while a serving civil servant since 1997.
	Where such reports as these involve less than five cases, the Department follows Cabinet Office guidelines and does not publicly report specific figures on the grounds of confidentiality. With such small numbers the individuals concerned might be personally identified with possible legal consequences. A number of such cases have occurred in the Department's agencies but the total number of those cases are less than five.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to limit the entitlement available to those in receipt of  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance under proposals for reform of the social care system.

Phil Hope: If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the National Care Service, those receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform would continue to receive the same level of cash support. We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in our White Paper later this year.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 762W, on social services, if he will publish the elements of the micro-simulation model which provided the figures on the number of individuals whose needs are critical.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 552W.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 553-4W, on social services, in what month those discussions and clearances took place.

Phil Hope: These discussions and clearances took place between early September and November 2009.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 495W, on social services, what methodology was used to calculate the  (a) residential and  (b) informal care switchers.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 763W.

Social Services: Reform

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the implementation of his plans for the NHS in respect of social care provision will require legislation;
	(2)  whether social care provision commissioned by primary care trusts will be exempt from means-testing;
	(3)  what powers he plans to provide for NHS commissioners to commission social care;
	(4)  what uplift he expects each primary care trust to receive consequent on the takeover of social care provision by primary care trusts;
	(5)  what plans he has to transfer  (a) control over provision and  (b) responsibility for funding of social care to primary care trusts;
	(6)  what plans he has for the future role of the NHS in respect of control over provision of social care; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Both NHS 2010-15; good to great, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, and The NHS operating framework for England for 2010/11 emphasised the importance of the NHS working together with its partners to deliver joined-up services around people's needs and support people to stay healthy and independent. Neither document suggested structural changes to accountability or governance.
	A copy of the framework has been placed in the Library.

Surgery: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the London borough of  (a) Bexley,  (b) Bromley and  (c) Greenwich underwent elective surgery in the last three years for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: Information is not collected in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) in which an elective procedure or intervention, including but not limited to elective surgery, was performed. A finished consultant episode is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, since one patient may have more than one episode of care within the same stay at hospital, or in different stays within the same year.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes where a main elective procedure or intervention was performed at Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich Primary Care Trust of responsibility from 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			   FCEs where an elective procedure or intervention was performed 
			   Bexley PCT  Bromley PCT  Greenwich PCT 
			 2008-09 25,073 45,177 26,982 
			 2007-08 23,585 38,565 26,170 
			 2006-07 23,824 34,937 25,565 
			  Notes: 1. Commissioning responsibility for individual patients rests with the primary care trust (PCT) with whom the patient is registered. This means that patients with a general practitioner (GP) in one PCT area may reside in a neighbouring or other area but remain the responsibility of the PCT with whom their GP of registration is associated. PCTs are also responsible for non-registered patients who are resident within their boundaries. 2. A main elective procedure or intervention is the first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Surgery: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgical operations were carried out on the NHS in Nottingham North constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2008.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not available in the format requested. Data on finished consultant episodes(1) (FCEs) are collected by primary care trust (PCT) of responsibility(2), the commissioning PCT, not by constituency.
	The number of FCEs where there was a main procedure(3) with Nottingham City as the PCT of responsibility in 2008-08 and 1997-98 is shown in the following table. This includes activity in national health service hospitals in England and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
	(1) An FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.
	(2) PCT of responsibility-this is a derived field providing the PCT responsible for the patient. The commissioning responsibility for individual patients rests with the PCT with whom the patient is registered. Therefore, this is based on the postcode of the patient's general practitioner (GP). This means that patients with a GP in one PCT area may reside in a neighbouring or other area but remain the responsibility of the PCT with whom their GP of registration is associated. PCTs are also responsible for non-registered patients who are resident within their boundaries.
	(3) Main procedure-the first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode (Operating Procedure Code Supplement codes AOO to X97), usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedures.
	
		
			   Finished consultant episodes 
			 2008-09 46,357 
			 1997-98 39,152 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care

Surgery: Obesity

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgical procedures to treat obesity were carried out on the NHS in  (a) England,  (b) each region and  (c) each strategic health authority area in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: Data on finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of obesity as well as a main or secondary procedure of bariatric surgery for England and each health authority or regional area are provided in the following table. Data are available for each year from 1997-98 to 2008-09.
	The NHS Information Centre has provided slightly revised data to those previously provided for the years 1997-98 to 2006-07 following a revision of the definition of bariatric surgery.
	
		
			  Count of Finished Consultant Episodes( 1)  with a primary diagnosis( 2)  of obesity( 4 ) and a main or secondary procedure( 3)  of bariatric surgery( 4 ) broken down by SHA of residence( 5)  for 1997-98 to 2008-09 - Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Strategic health authority (SHA)   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01  1999- 20 00  1998-99  1997-98 
			 England total  4,221 2,695 1,934 1,032 736 469 340 280 257 196 196 148 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA Q01 - - - 40 25 12 9 6 7 2 4 6 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA Q02 - - - 28 18 9 6 8 7 2 3 2 
			 Essex SHA Q03 - - - 12 13 7 5 3 5 4 1 1 
			 North West London SHA Q04 - - - 69 46 11 13 5 7 3 1 1 
			 North Central London SHA Q05 - - - 29 16 12 5 2 3 5 - 2 
			 North East London SHA Q06 - - - 24 10 4 3 1 2 1 2 - 
			 South East London SHA Q07 - - - 32 27 18 11 13 18 11 4 3 
			 South West London SHA Q08 - - - 33 22 11 11 5 8 7 2 4 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA Q09 - - - 58 33 23 11 9 8 8 10 10 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA Q10 - - - 21 15 7 5 7 6 3 4 2 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA Q11 - - - 136 63 37 20 19 8 15 12 4 
			 West Yorkshire SHA Q12 - - - 59 51 65 40 38 56 42 31 30 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA Q13 - - - 13 18 17 11 14 9 14 7 7 
			 Greater Manchester SHA Q14 - - - 20 21 15 9 4 9 5 7 6 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA Q15 - - - 8 33 32 41 36 24 7 18 8 
			 Thames Valley SHA Q16 - - - 13 9 6 9 6 7 4 - - 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA Q17 - - - 2 4 3 - 1 - 3 4 2 
			 Kent and Medway SHA Q18 - - - 12 18 5 5 9 4 3 3 3 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA Q19 - - - 33 21 16 13 13 9 7 5 - 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA Q20 - - - 57 19 12 1 3 - 3 3 4 
			 South West Peninsula SHA Q21 - - - 33 22 13 12 24 7 12 6 5 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA Q22 - - - 31 13 4 3 1 4 2 2 - 
			 South Yorkshire SHA Q23 - - - 107 88 63 43 24 22 15 17 23 
			 Trent SHA Q24 - - - 85 42 20 22 14 14 6 7 10 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA Q25 - - - 19 33 11 8 2 4 - 5 3 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA Q26 - - - 23 21 18 11 3 3 3 11 3 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA Q27 - - - 25 20 12 10 7 3 7 25 7 
			 West Midlands South SHA Q28 - - - 9 15 6 3 2 3 2 2 2 
			 North East SHA Q30 268 217 132 - - - - - - - - - 
			 North West SHA Q31 316 75 77 - - - - - - - - - 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA Q32 584 491 439 - - - - - - - - - 
			 East Midlands SHA Q33 550 279 205 - - - - - - - - - 
			 West Midlands SHA Q34 445 345 244 - - - - - - - - - 
			 East of England SHA Q35 243 117 87 - - - - - - - - - 
			 London SHA Q36 909 582 299 - - - - - - - - - 
			 South East Coast SHA Q37 446 281 139 - - - - - - - - - 
			 South Central SHA Q38 157 127 110 - - - - - - - - - 
			 South West SHA Q39 302 181 202 - - - - - - - - - 
			 England-Not otherwise specified U 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Other, foreign and unknown SHAs  52 24 12 6 24 29 12 10 9 6 10 7 
			 (1) Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. (3) Number of episodes with a (named) main or secondary procedure The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under going a 'cataract operation' would tend to have at least two procedures-removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one-counted in a single episode. (4) Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Codes Obesity: ICD-10 code used for obesity was E66. Bariatric Surgery Procedure Codes: Recent guidance from the standards and classification team at Connecting for Health has led to a revision of the definition for 'Bariatric Surgery'. Due to these changes revised data has been provided. (See: OPCS-4 explanatory notes for more details on the bariatric surgery procedure codes) The OPCS-4 procedure codes below are used to denote bariatric surgery. The OPCS-4 procedure codes (1996-97 to 2005-06, and 2006-07 to 2008-09) are: G28.1, G28.2, G28.3, G28.8, G28.9, G30.1, G30.2, G30.8, G30.9, G31.1, G31.2, G31.3, G31.4, G31.8, G31.9, G31.0, G32.1, G32.2, G32.3, G32.8, G32.9, G32.0, G33.1, G33.2, G33.3, G33.8, G33.9, G33.0, G38.8, G48.1, G48.2.  The following additional four digit OPCS-4 codes have been added due to the use of OPCS-4.3 in 2006-07 data: G28.4, G28.5, G30.3, G30.4, G31.5, G31.6, G32.4, G32.5, G33.5, G33.6, G38.7, G71.6 Additional OPCS-4.4 codes used for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 data are: G27.1, G27.2, G27.3, G27.4, G27.5, G27.8 and G27.9. (5) SHA/primary care trust (PCT) of residence The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.  PCT/SHA data quality In July 2006, the NHS reorganised SHA and PCT in England from 28 SHAs into 10, and from 303 PCTs into 152. As a result data from 2006-07 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years. Data have been presented for those SHA/PCTs which have valid data for the breakdown presented here. As a result some SHA/PCTs may be missing from the list provided.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data.  Strategic Health Authority Configuration In 2006-07 there was a SHA configuration change, where 28 SHAs merged into 10. For this reason, 2006-07 is based on the new configuration.  Bariatric Surgery Procedure Codes: The OPCS-4 procedure codes below are used to denote bariatric surgery. The OPCS-4 procedure codes (1996-97 to 2005-06, and 2006-07 to 2008-09) are: G28.1 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G28.2 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G28.3 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach jejunum nec G28.8 Other specific partial excision of stomach G28.9 Unspecified partial excision of stomach G30.1 Gastroplasty nec G30.2 Partitioning of stomach nec G30.8 Other specified plastic operations on stomach G30.9 Unspecified plastic operations on stomach G31.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum G31.2 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.3 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.4 Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.8 Other specified connection of stomach to duodenum G31.9 Unspecified connection of stomach to duodenum G31.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G32.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.2 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.3 Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.8 Other specified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.9 Unspecified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G33.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G33.2 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G33.3 Conversion of anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec 
			 G33.8 Other specified other connection of stomach to jejunum G33.9 Unspecified other connection of stomach to jejunum G33.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G38.8 Other specified other open operations on stomach G48.1 Insertion of gastric bubble G48.2 Attention to gastric bubble The following additional four digit OPCS-4 codes have been added due to the use of OPCS-4.3 in 2006-07 data: G28.4 Sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch G28.5 Sleeve gastrectomy nec G30.3 Partitioning of stomach using band G30.4 Partitioning of stomach using staples G31.5 Closure of connection of stomach and duodenum G31.6 Attention to connection of stomach and duodenum G32.4 Closure of connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.5 Attention to connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G33.5 Closure of connection of stomach to jejunum nec G33.6 Attention to connection of stomach to jejunum G38.7 Removal of gastric band G71.6 Duodenal switch Additional OPCS-4.4 codes used for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 data are: G27.1 Total gastrectomy and excision of surrounding tissue G27.2 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum G27.3 Total gastrectomy and interposition of jejunum G27.4 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to transposed jejunum G27.5 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to jejunum nec G27.8 Other specified total excision of stomach G27.9 Unspecified total excision of stomach  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Fuel Poverty

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households were in fuel poverty in  (a) the UK and  (b) Billericay constituency in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2009.

David Kidney: The estimated number of households in fuel poverty in the UK was around 2 million in 2003. The latest year for which figures are available is for 2007 and this shows that there were around 4 million fuel- poor households in the UK.
	The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 2,600 fuel-poor households in the Billericay constituency. In 2003 there were around 2,400 fuel-poor households in the Billericay constituency.

Fuel Poverty

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of fuel poverty among households not on the gas main.

David Kidney: We are aware of the challenges that exist for households off the gas main. To help address this:
	Ofgem has incentivised large gas networks to provide connections to deprived households off the network;
	CERT provides incentives for energy suppliers to promote heat pumps in off-gas-grid vulnerable properties;
	Warm Front in England is piloting air source heat pumps, and
	The forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive has the potential to benefit off-gas-grid consumers.

Fuel Poverty: Older People

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce fuel poverty among older people.

David Kidney: The Government have a strong package of measures to help reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households which includes the elderly. This is centred on tackling the three root causes of fuel poverty:
	Reducing the demand for energy by improving home energy efficiency through schemes such as Warm Front and equivalents in the devolved Administrations, CERT, CESP and Decent Homes;
	Ensuring competitive energy prices through a robust system of regulation aimed to protect all consumers; and
	Raising real incomes, including winter fuel and cold weather payments alongside the wider tax and benefit system and through benefit entitlement checks. We have introduced legislation to implement mandated social price support schemes once the current voluntary agreement with suppliers comes to an end and have said that we are minded to focus the majority of the additional resources on older pensioner households on the lowest incomes.

Climate Change: Scientific Evidence

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the scientific evidence relating to climate change.

Joan Ruddock: DECC includes a dedicated team of climate specialists who keep the scientific evidence under review. The AVOID research programme on avoiding dangerous climate change recently assessed the scientific research published since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report. The findings informed the UK delegation ahead of Copenhagen. Expert advice is also obtained from the UK and wider academic research community and through the Integrated Climate Programme at the Met Office Hadley Centre.

Climate Change: Copenhagen

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the outcome of the Copenhagen climate change conference; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Accord agreed in Copenhagen marks the start of a new phase in tackling climate change. Major developed and developing countries committed to further action, including reaching agreement on the need to limit global warming to 2 degrees. The UK will now work to convert the measures agreed at Copenhagen into a comprehensive legally binding agreement.

Biofuels

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made in defining its biomass sustainability criteria.

David Kidney: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The Government's approach to defining sustainability criteria for biomass is set out in the UK Renewable Energy Strategy, launched in July.
	We are awaiting the European Commission's report on the requirement for a sustainability scheme for solid and gaseous biomass used for heat and electricity, which was due by 31 December 2009. This report will be accompanied, where appropriate, with proposals to the European Parliament and Council.
	We will then consider this report and its implications for introducing sustainability criteria for the biomass used for heat and electricity in the UK.

Boilers

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the boiler scrappage scheme applies to boilers operating on liquefied petroleum gas.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 6 January 2010
	Liquefied petroleum gas boilers are eligible for this scheme if they meet the criteria on age and efficiency.

BP: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on the use of the local road network of BP's contract to lease the Oikos terminal on Canvey Island; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply
	:
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made no assessment of the effects on the use of the local road network of BP Oil UK Ltd.'s contract to lease storage facilities at Oikos Storage Ltd.'s site on Canvey Island.
	Oikos will remain the operator of this site for the purposes of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) and will have overall responsibility for safety throughout the duration of the BP contract. HSE's role is to monitor safety at the site. HSE will continue to do this and will assess any significant changes that Oikos make to the site and to the site's COMAH safety report as a result of the implementation of the BP contract. As part of their responsibilities under COMAH, Oikos are expected to identify and assess hazards and risks associated with the transport of hazardous substances that could lead to major accidents at the site.
	HSE understands that hazardous materials will be transferred to and from the Oikos site though underground pipelines throughout the duration of the BP contract. The safety of any hazardous materials transported by road in, for example, road tankers, would be covered by the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Regulations 2009 enforced by the police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

Carbon Sequestration

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage the further development of carbon capture and storage technology; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: We have announced support for what is expected to be one of the world's first commercial-scale demonstrations of CCS on a coal-fired power station, and recently confirmed our intention to support a total of four demonstration projects.
	We have supported extensive research to help understand the potential of CCS internationally and domestically. We have created one of the world's first legal frameworks to allow the safe storage of carbon dioxide and address the problem of long-term liability associated with storage sites.

Climate Change: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the effects on the British Overseas Territories of decisions reached at the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change regarding the Copenhagen climate summit outcomes on 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 42. As the statement suggested, we are continuing to reflect on the implications of the outcome of COP15 for the UK and for the Overseas Territories and are liaising with them directly over that.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of each document he presented to the recent United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The UK negotiates as part of the EU and therefore all formal submissions we have made to the UNFCCC have been as part of the EU. The EU made one submission during the Copenhagen climate change conference-the EU presented its fifth national communication under the UNFCCC on 7 December. A copy is available in the Library of the House. I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State's statement of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 42, on the outcomes of the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department attended the Copenhagen climate change conference; and at what cost to the public purse.

Joan Ruddock: Two Ministers and 36 officials from the Department of Energy and Climate Change attended the Copenhagen climate change conference as part of the UK delegation. The total cost to the UK taxpayer is not yet known, but current estimates suggest a rough costing of £350,000. This includes expenses for non-DECC members of the UK delegation which are covered from DECC's budgets, such as office space and land transportation.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 42, regarding the Copenhagen climate conference outcomes.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Joan Ruddock: There have been no known allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing reported by departmental staff since the inception of DECC on 3 October 2008.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 October 2008.

Joan Ruddock: The offences we have identified include:
	 The Transfrontier shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel regulations 2008 (SI 2008/3087)
	The Transfrontier shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel regulations 2008 (SI 2008/3087) continue to implement council directive 96/29/Euratom laying down basic standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation, and implement directive 2006/117/Euratom on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel. The regulations create several offences relating to the transfrontier shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel without an authorisation granted by the Environment Agency (in England and Wales), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (in Scotland) or the chief inspector appointed under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (in Northern Ireland).
	Regulation 4(1) creates an offence of shipping radioactive waste or spent fuel to a destination outside the United Kingdom, or into the United Kingdom from a third country (except by way of transit), except in accordance with an authorisation. Regulation 4(2) creates an offence of shipping radioactive waste or spent fuel into the United Kingdom from another European member state except under the authority of an authorisation granted by that member state.
	Regulation 5(1) creates an offence of shipping radioactive waste or spent fuel into the United Kingdom from a third country by way of transit to another member state except in accordance with an authorisation granted by the member state of destination.
	Regulation 5(2) creates an offence of shipping radioactive waste or spent fuel into the United Kingdom from a third country for transit to another third country except in accordance with an authorisation by the UK authorities, or where relevant by the other member state.
	Regulation 8(2) creates an offence of failing to notify the authorities within 15 days that a consignment of radioactive waste or spent fuel from outside the UK has been received.
	Regulation 9(4) creates an offence of failing to notify the authorities that radioactive waste or spent fuel consigned from the UK to a different country has arrived, within 15 days of that arrival.
	Regulation 10(2) creates an offence of failing to ensure that a shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel is accompanied by the correct documents.
	Regulation 11(2) creates an offence of making a false or misleading statement in an application under the regulations for authorisation in relation to shipping radioactive waste or spent fuel.
	Regulation 14(3) creates an offence of failure to comply with an instruction of the authorities to return a consignment of radioactive waste or spent fuel to the country of origin, or to otherwise dispose of it.
	Regulation 14(4)(b) creates an offence of failing to comply with a notice requiring the holder of an authorisation to take back any radioactive waste or spent fuel that has been sent out of the United Kingdom.
	Regulation 15(2) creates an offence of failing to comply with a notice sent by the authorities requiring that information is sent or that actions are taken or are not taken in relation to the shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel.
	The regulations also revoke the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993 (SI 1993/3031) which contained in regulation 18 a set of offences which were similar in nature to the above new offences (although they did not apply to spent fuel).
	 Criminal Jurisdiction (Application to Offshore Energy Installation etc) Order 2009
	Although not creating any new criminal offences, this order extends the existing criminal law regime in England and Wales and Scotland for acts or omissions that take place on and around a renewable energy installation in the UK's renewable energy zone.

Departmental Pay

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in 2009.

Joan Ruddock: An element of the Department of Energy and Climate Change's overall pay award is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. These payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional performance, for example by exceeding targets set or meeting challenging objectives.
	Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.
	The total amount of non-consolidated variable pay paid to civil servants in DECC from January to August 2009 inclusive (the latest figures available) is £484,000.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department and its agencies spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the (i) subject and (ii) location of each away day was.

Joan Ruddock: The information requested is not available centrally and could be made available only at disproportional cost.

Natural Gas

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the oxygen specification threshold of natural gas was set at 0.2 per cent.; and whether his Department has made an estimate of the effect on the level of use of natural gas of raising that threshold to three per cent.

David Kidney: holding answer 8 December 2009
	 This limit is set in the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No. 551), at schedule 3/part 1. Those regulations were made, by the then Department of the Environment, on the advice of the HSE. Subsequently the then Department for Business and Regulatory Reform consulted on future arrangements for Great Britain's gas quality specifications, and concluded that there was not a case for seeking change to the GS(M)R. Gas quality, and the process for seeking flexibility under the current statutory arrangements, is again discussed in a document just published by my Department, entitled Biomethane into the Gas Network: A Guide for Producers; this is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/markets/gas_markets/nonconvention/nonconvention.aspx

Natural Gas: Storage

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what additional volume of gas storage capacity he expects to be available in the UK by 2012.

David Kidney: National Grid's Ten Year Statement 2009 (published in December) shows 0.53 bcm of storage capacity under construction, and expected to commission by 2011-12.

Renewable Energy

Jacqui Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure that local communities benefit directly from local renewable energy generation.

Joan Ruddock: The Government are developing and demonstrating successful models of community engagement through the 'Low Carbon Communities Challenge'; phase 1 winners were announced on 21 December. We are also setting effective financial subsidy levels through feed-in tariffs and the renewable heat incentive to benefit communities.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department is making in the establishment of an incentive mechanism for the development of renewable heat technologies.

Joan Ruddock: We are currently working on the development of the renewable heat incentive scheme which will provide financial incentives to encourage renewable heat generation at all scales. We plan to publish our consultation on the scheme shortly. Details of how the scheme will operate will be set out in the consultation.

Sellafield: Waste Management

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on policy on disposal of nuclear waste from Sellafield.

David Kidney: The Department has regular contact with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), its nuclear sites and other interested stakeholders. Government recognise the importance of managing radioactive waste to the highest environmental, security and safety standards and work closely with the NDA to ensure that this is done achieving best value for money consistent with those standards.

Warm Front Scheme: East Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in  (a) Lewes constituency and  (b) East Sussex county council area received assistance under the Warm Front programme in 2008-09.

David Kidney: In 2008-09, 322 households in Lewes constituency and 2,921 in East Sussex county council area received assistance from the Warm Front scheme.

Warm Front Scheme: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on the Warm Front programme in Stroud district in each year since its inception; and what other measures the Government have taken in Stroud district to  (a) encourage greater energy efficiency measures and  (b) reduce the level of fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The following table details the amount spent by the Warm Front scheme each year in Stroud since June 2005.
	
		
			  Warm Front spend 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 180,242 
			 2006-07 325,327 
			 2007-08 347,282 
			 2008-09 471,998 
			 2009-10(1) 617,018 
			 (1) Up to 30 November 2009. 
		
	
	The Government have a strong package of national programmes aimed at encouraging greater energy efficiency measures and reducing the level of fuel poverty. The combination of Warm Front, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP), Decent Homes and local programmes delivered through local government, partnerships, energy suppliers, Eaga and National Energy Action (such as Warm Zones and the Community Energy Efficiency Fund) are all important in tackling fuel poverty and encouraging greater energy efficiency across England.
	In December 2009, my Department announced the launch of the Home Energy Pay As You Save (PAYS) pilots. Stroud district council in partnership with Severn Wye Energy Agency will deliver a PAYS pilot project to householders within the Stroud area. The PAYS pilot will give households the opportunity to invest in energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies in their homes with no up-front cost. Householders will make repayments spread over a long enough period so that repayments are lower than their predicted energy bill savings, meaning financial and carbon savings are made from day one.

Wind Power

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of the United Kingdom's energy needs are generated by wind power; and how many wind turbines are operating in the UK.

David Kidney: In 2008 1.8 per cent. of UK electricity generation was from wind power(1). Provisional figures for the first three quarters of 2009 indicate that in this period 2.2 per cent. of electricity generated in the UK was from wind(2).
	The following table sets out the number of operational wind turbines in the UK as at November 2009. In addition, it is estimated that there are approximately 12,000 micro-wind turbines in the UK.
	(1) Source:
	Table 5.6 Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2009
	(http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/dukes/dukes.aspx).
	(2) Source:
	Table 5.1 Energy Trends
	(http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/electricity/electricity.aspx).
	
		
			   Onshore  Offshore  Total 
			 Greater than 50kW 2,617 (1)207 2,824 
			 Less than 50kW 225 n/a 225 
			 Total 2,842 207 3,049 
			 (1)Does not include the Beatrice offshore wind demonstrator project which is outside UK territorial waters.   Source:  AEA Technology.

Wind Power: Noise

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what advice the maximum permitted night-time noise from onshore wind turbines was set at 43 decibels; when this limit was last reviewed; and why the recommendation in the 2006 draft report by Hayes McKenzie Partnership of a reduction in the sound level was rejected.

David Kidney: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The 43 decibel night-time limit in the ETSU-R-97 guidance is derived from the 35 dB(A) sleep disturbance criteria referred to in Planning Policy Guidance 24 (Planning and Noise). An addition of 10 dB(A) was made to the 35 dB(A) figure to allow for attenuation through an open window, and 2 dB subtracted to account for the use of LA90 rather than LAeq. ETSU-R-97 has not been formally reviewed, but other aspects of wind turbine noise have been subject to a number of studies including the 2006 research by Hayes McKenzie.
	In relation to the Hayes McKenzie research, I understand that the reference to the decibel levels was not included in the final report because the consultants decided that referring to a specific level (as in the first draft of the report) did not reflect the terms of reference of the study.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he will respond to Question 301323, tabled by the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire on 19 November 2009, on departmental working practices.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 10 December 2009
	I responded to the hon. Member on 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1334W.